


Know You Better

by FictionQuxxn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blaise's Twin AU, Bonding, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Behaviour, Developing Friendships, Draco Malfoy Being Draco Malfoy, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Enemies, Good Slytherins, Humor, Pureblood Society (Harry Potter), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 81,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26832331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionQuxxn/pseuds/FictionQuxxn
Summary: For Bellen Zabini, identical twin sister of Blaise Zabini and daughter of deceased father Calvino Zabini and renowned gold-digging mother Estelle Zabini, life isn't exactly a breeze. Between Pureblood politics, her insatiable thirst for knowledge and Harry Potter's recurring antics, her seven years at Hogwarts will force her to face many unprecedented challenges.  When her path and that of those around her seem pre-destined for darkness, can Bellen break free into the light in time to save herself? To save the boy who made all the wrong choices?Follow along as she navigates Hogwarts from a Slytherin Pureblood's perspective and makes the first of many small changes that could alter the outcome of the war entirely.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Draco Malfoy/Reader
Comments: 28
Kudos: 59





	1. Prologue - Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again to returning readers, and welcome to the (hopefully) many new!
> 
> First I just want to throw a quick plug here for my Witcher series called Potentials, all finished and sitting prettily on my profile if you feel like reading anything else of mine around my updates. I was planning to return with fresh Witcher content but then my uni friends brainstormed watching the entire Harry Potter series over lockdown and I got sucked back into my intense love for Harry Potter and all things magical.
> 
> As of uploading this first part, I am currently working on PoA and I plan to post one chapter as I complete one, so there's no guarantee of an upload schedule but I'm hoping to shoot for once a fortnight. Obviously posts will vary but I promise that this will be completed.
> 
> This is a work in progress and I would LOVE any feedback you want to give me as I progress through the series. There will be a mix of book and movie content, but it is heavily based on book plot/dialogue. ANYTHING YOU MAY RECOGNISE IS PROPERTY OF J. K. ROWLING! I just love playing with the characters.
> 
> With that said, I will edit tags as needed and if you feel anything should be added don't be afraid to let me know. I have most of the story planned out already, and this will just be one huge amalgamation of all the books into one massive work so don't be afraid to comment and theorise as you go. I love replying so as long as I don't get a sudden flood of attention I'll try to respond to everyone asap.
> 
> Enough of the waffling~ Long story short, I appreciate your time and hope you enjoy reading my brainchild as much as I am loving writing it. Onto the fic!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins enjoy their first school shop at Diagon Alley!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had fun just introducing the dynamic between Bellen and Blaise and how they feel about their mother... Definitely not going to be nominated for any awards any time soon.

“Good morning, Dippy is here to get young miss ready for the day!”

“Five more minutes,” I mumbled into my pillow, nuzzling further into the warmth of my bed before my heavy covers were suddenly Banished with a click of Dippy’s fingers. “Dippy!”

“Dippy is sorry miss, Dippy was told to be firm!” Our house elf squeaked in dismay and I sat up with a small sigh, rubbing my eyes and yawning. “If Dippy has upset young miss-”

“No Dippy, I’m just tired. Thank you for getting me up.”

“You is very welcome miss! Breakfast is ready and Dippy has left out clothes for young miss, but Dippy must go and wake young sir now.” Now that I was fully awake, Dippy replaced my covers with a wave of her hand before bowing to me and Disapparating with yet another crack.

“Bloody house elf,” I grumbled fondly, rubbing my eyes once more before slipping out of my large canopy bed and approaching the vanity in the corner of my room. Sitting down with yet another yawn, I readjusted the lacy neck of my nightgown before picking up my silver backed enchanted hairbrush and slowly sweeping it through my long masses of dark hair. The tangles were effortlessly loosened and removed while a glossy finish tamed my wildly dark frizz into sleek curls of mahogany.

“Morning.”

“Don’t sound too excited to see me.” I beamed despite my sarcasm, swivelling in place to see my twin brother dressed in grey silk pyjamas slipping in through the double doors that linked our rooms. He rolled his eyes but his lips were quirked in a small smile as he made his way over, stooping to kiss my cheek before hugging me tight. I flung my arms round him with a happy sigh, bubbling excitement now seeping in past my faint lethargy. “Can you believe it? One more week and then we’re off to Hogwarts!”

“I know, you’ve only been reminding me every day for the past two months.” He snickered as I pinched him on the side but squeezed me once before he stepped back. “I can’t wait to get my wand. There are some spells I want to try before we even get there.”

“Me too! I found a book in the library on wand woods and their properties, and I think you’d-”

“Bellen! Blaise!”

“Mother,” we both chorused grimly, sharing identical looks of exasperation before we linked hands and left my room. The hallway was deserted so we hurried along the polished wood flooring until we reached the central landing where we approached the elaborately carved railing and peered over into the foyer below. Mother was there with a man, smiling and laughing delicately as she helped him remove his cloak. He was very pale with a large beaky nose set over a thick brown moustache and goatee and matching close cropped hair. There was a bulky pile set to the side covered by a large swathe of fabric but before we could investigate any more than that-

“There you are _petits joyaux_! Come down and say hello to Mr Turgenev.” Mother was smiling up at us, right hand tucked into the crook of the man’s elbow while she waved us down with her left. Blaise grimaced at me before squeezing my hand and gently towing me to the right and down the stairs into the entrance hall.

“Ah, Mrs Zabini these must be your children.” The man – Mr Turgenev – had a thick Russian accent and smiled thinly at us as Blaise and I drew to a stop in front of them both.

“Please do call me Estelle,” Mother purred before gesturing to us with a proud expression. “And yes, Blaise and Bellen are my only children. Both are starting Hogwarts this year, they’ll be out shopping for their school supplies with the elf this afternoon, isn’t that right darlings?”

“Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr Turgenev.” I smiled demurely and Blaise inclined his head very slightly in a respectful greeting. I saw Mother draw herself up and smile a little wider and I could tell she was pleased with us.

“Children, I believe Mr Turgenev has some gifts for you before you return to the nursery for breakfast.” The reference to our parlour as a nursery rankled and I felt Blaise stiffen ever so slightly next to me, but his face and tone stayed calm and even as he spoke.

“We both appreciate your generosity Mr Turgenev.”

“It was my pleasure. Elf!” There was a crack as Dippy Apparated to our left, already bowing to the two adults in deference. “Give the children their gifts.”

“Yes sir!” Dippy straightened and waved her hands, Vanishing the sheet covering the items stacked up against the wall and floating them over to us. There were a large number of wrapped and labelled boxes but what drew my attention were the large cages which housed two sleeping owls, one a dappled white and cream bird with distinct plumicorns while the larger owl was covered in voluminous feathers in various shades of charcoal and brown.

“Ah yes, some of the finest owls available on the continent,” Mr Turgenev explained, noting my focus. “The Eurasian Eagle owl and Blakiston’s Fish owl. Both incredibly large and intelligent creatures, strong fliers, fiercely loyal. The Eurasian is the white, a particularly fine female and the blakistoni is a high-spirited male.”

“I want him,” I blurted without thinking, quickly shooting Mother an apologetic look and ducking my head. Mr Turgenev bellowed out a laugh and gestured broadly at both cages.

“Take whichever you please. I’m sure you can go through the rest of your presents after breakfast. Estelle, might we-?”

“Of course,” Mother tittered, batting her lashes up at the tall man before pinning Dippy with a steely glare. “Dippy, move these to the nursery and serve my doves breakfast! You wouldn’t want to be late.”

“At once Mistress!” And with a crack Dippy and the heap of gifts were gone, only the two owl cages left suspended in the air in front of Blaise and I.

“Take those lovely owls to your rooms children. Remember, you must be ready by eleven o’clock. Mr Turgenev and I will be conducting business in my wing, Dippy will be in charge of you for the rest of the day.” Without another word Mother hooked her left hand into Mr Turgenev’s elbow on top of her right and whisked him off upstairs and off to the left towards the West wing of the estate.

“Is that what she calls it now: business?” Blaise murmured, face screwing up in distaste and I giggled quietly with an expression of matching disapproval. “You said you wanted the Bliki-whatsit owl Bell?”

“Blakiston’s,” I corrected absently, pulling Blaise forwards to look at both birds more closely. “Just look at him, his plumage is magnificent.”

“Looks like a bloody great dust bunny to me. I’m happy with the Eurasian, she looks like she has a good temperament.”

“So that means she’s boring like you.” I squawked in protest as Blaise poked me viciously between the ribs but quickly fell silent again when both owls stirred at the sudden noise, heads shifting from beneath their wings where they had been napping. “Oh Blaise, _look_!”

The Eurasian had eyes of a deep butterscotch set under a ridge of facial feathers that looked like a furrowed brow, curving and leading up to her dark plumicorns that stood up like little ears. She looked very serious and sleek and I knew she would be a good match for Blaise’s sometimes austere attitude. The Blakiston’s Fish owl was the complete opposite. While only a little larger than the Eurasian in height, his larger wings and dark fluffy feathers made him look like a hulking monster next to the refined dignity of the female. His eyes were a piercing yellow and darted between Blaise and I as he fluffed his feathers up and ruffled his wings in slight agitation.

“It’s okay, you’re safe.” I cooed, poking my index finger through the bars to test the waters. Before I could blink the owl had lunged forward and nipped the end of my finger viciously, drawing blood with a stab of sharp pain.

“Bellen!” Blaise yanked on my hand and I stumbled away from the cage, wincing as I sucked the blood away from the small wound. “It nearly took your finger off! I’m going to tell Mother you can’t keep it, it’s not safe!”

“Blaise, I’m fine just let me try again-”

“Are you quite mad? Bell, it just _attacked_ you.” Blaise hissed, glancing edgily at the large owl who was regarding us coolly as his feathers slowly settled into their usual position. I set my shoulders and approached the cage again, ignoring Blaise tugging on my hand as I deliberately stuck my bleeding finger right back into the cage.

The owl seemed to be glaring at me, holding stock still as Blaise and I held our breaths and watched with no small amount of trepidation. I fought back the urge to flinch as the owl edged closer on his perch, head swivelling as he regarded us and his surroundings before sticking his head forwards once more. Bracing for the pain, I let my shoulders drop with a relieved laugh when I felt the firm edges of his beak gently nibbling over my knuckle.

“You’re crazy,” Blaise huffed, clearly relieved even as he lightly cuffed me over the back of head for my stupidity. I just beamed at him and gently pushed him towards the Eurasian owl so he could get acquainted with her. Now convinced that I wouldn’t lose any digits, I stuck the fingers of my other hand through the bars of the cage to gently card through the owl’s soft feathers.

“Salazar.” I decided with a proud smile, stroking down the length of his beak before pulling away and taking hold of the cage so I could move Salazar upstairs before Dippy came to hunt us down.

“A little on the nose don’t you think?” Blaise questioned with an amused smirk, holding his cage and gently scratching his owl behind a wing with a finger of his free hand.

“Like your name is going to be so special,” I huffed with an eyeroll. “Besides, _fortitudo in titulo_ dearest gemello.”

“Don’t use the motto to defend your bad naming Bell. And what’s wrong with Morgana? It’s a perfectly respectable name.” Blaise sniffed haughtily and I laughed, taking his hand and pulling him towards the stairs wordlessly.

We hurried to our rooms and I settled Salazar’s cage on one side of my massive desk, opening the latched door and then rushing to throw open the French doors which opened onto a shared balcony. Salazar fluttered out of his cage curiously and took in the room before taking flight, leaving me gaping as he swept past me with an affectionate clip from the tip of one wing that made up his six-foot wingspan. I watched him soar off across the grounds in awe, shortly joined by Morgana as she too shot out of Blaise’s room to stretch her wings and explore in the bright August sunshine.

“Young sir and miss, your breakfasts is waiting!” Dippy made a timely appearance on the balcony with a customary whipcrack, firmly ushering us back through our rooms and further along the main hallway of the East wing to our parlour where Blaise and I spent most of our time when Mother couldn’t attend to us.

We were gently rushed through breakfast (a demure affair of cinnamon porridge followed by a full English, with fully furnished scones and Earl Grey to finish) before we were escorted back to our rooms to change. Mother had an odd obsession with dressing Blaise and I in similar clothes or styles in our rare public appearances; I was still haunted by the memory of the Christmas fundraiser we had been dragged to two years previous where we had both been dressed in formal wear in matte gold and silver and while we looked beautifully dressed when apart, it became overwhelmingly tacky whenever we were within sight of each other.

She had not disappointed on this occasion either. Blaise and I emerged from our rooms in smart day wear, Blaise in a pair of cream trousers with a periwinkle shirt and loafers while I complimented perfectly in my blue sundress with a cream ribbon around the waist, a similar ribbon tying up my hair and matching flats. We shared a long-suffering glance before holding hands again and squeezing our eyes shut as Dippy took gentle hold of my wrist and Disapparated.

We appeared with a loud crack at the entrance of Diagon Alley and I blinked against the bright sunlight while I fought back the slight nausea and dizziness from Apparition. Blaise gave my hand a gentle squeeze and I smiled at him, pulling him slightly closer as Dippy carefully tugged on my wrist and began leading us down the street.

“Mistress has given Dippy Galleons for young miss and sir’s shopping, Dippy is helping young sir and miss buy school things and anything they’s is needing.”

“We should go to Ollivander’s first Dippy, then work our way back from there.” Blaise suggested smoothly but I knew the glint in his eye to be the carefully suppressed childish excitement we both felt at finally being able to have our own wands. Dippy nodded happily, her large ears flapping a little as she led us through the foot traffic.

We received several looks from passers-by; though universal knowledge, house elves were not commonly used outside of the higher echelons of pureblood society and it was even rarer to see one outside of their homes. People either recognised the Zabini crest on Dippy’s cloth uniform, recognised my brother and I, or didn’t care enough to give us a second glance.

Ollivander’s storefront looked worn but somehow not battered or run down and the magic pouring from the shop made my lips tingle. We were ushered inside and Blaise and I looked around in barely contained curiosity as Dippy magically rang the bell set upon the counter. Mr Ollivander appeared from the gloom of the shelves, large eyes fixed on us as he set a series of boxes on the wooden counter and absently sent them floating off to be sorted with a flick of his wand.

“You must be the Zabini twins… A pity I cannot claim to have supplied either of your parents with their wands… Your father especially was very powerful, very attuned to magic: almost disturbingly so…”

Blaise and I shared a look as the silence stretched on with no signal from Mr Ollivander that he planned to continue speaking. So I swallowed thickly and stepped forwards, hand still clasped with Blaise’s as I looked up at the old wandmaker.

“Mr Ollivander, you knew our father?”

“No, no child… But one hears things, many things… Especially once you are as old as I…” Mr Ollivander trailed into silence again but before one of us could speak up, he blinked and flicked his wand at a tape measure sloppily piled next to the bell. “Yes, Mr Zabini first, I think… Wand arm out.”

Blaise straightened a little as the tape soared through the air towards him, taking various measurements along his right arm, between it and the floor, across his chest and face, on and on in increasingly ridiculous places while Mr Ollivander rifled around among the shelves for wand boxes. With another distracted flick of his wand the tape measure shifted to me and I hurriedly dropped Blaise’s hand to hold my right arm out helpfully. By the time the tape measure had progressed to measuring the distance between my nose and my bellybutton, Mr Ollivander had finally come back to the counter with an armful of boxes which he set down and pushed into two vague piles.

“Mr Zabini, if you would… Oak, dragon heartstring, ten and a half inches, fairly bendy.” Mr Ollivander opened a box and offered it to my brother, who hesitantly lifted the wand from its velvet cushioning and gave it an experimental twirl. There was an alarmingly loud popping noise and the wand was snatched from his hand and stowed back in its box. “Perhaps willow...? Unicorn tail hair, thirteen inches, whippy.” A willow wand was offered and Blaise cast me a worried glance before he picked the wand up and waved it. A slightly underwhelming belch of grey smoke dribbled from the wand tip and it too was taken back post haste. “Let us try… Cedar, also unicorn tail hair, eleven and a quarter inches, slightly rigid.”

I watched curiously as Blaise picked up the wand and something about the settle of the wand in his hand, the warm burnish of the wood against his skin, the simple grooves denoting the grip, all of it just seemed right. Blaise neatly flicked the wand and the tape measure that had fallen in a coil on the floor suddenly came alive, hissing softly and slipping over the toes of my shoes. Mr Ollivander reversed the Charm with a sharp jab of his wand and nodded solemnly at Blaise.

“Cedar wands often pair well with perceptive wizards of strong character and intense loyalty... Yes, you will accomplish many things with this wand Mr Zabini. And for you Miss Zabini…” Mr Ollivander considered me for a moment before turning and retreating back to the shelves, totally ignoring the number of untested wands on the counter. I shared a confused look with Blaise before suddenly the wandmaker reappeared with an open box in his hands where a pale wand rested on a nest of sapphire crushed velvet. “If you may..?”

I hesitated, eyes running along the wand and cataloguing the light beige wood, the spherical ornamental pommel at the end of the grip, the dainty runic patterns that seemed to flow in a double helix along the length of the wand. My hand itched to touch it and so I cautiously reached out and lifted it free of the box. I felt a warmth run through my arm into my chest as I traced a flowing line through the air with the wand tip. A trail of white flame uncoiled lazily from the wand and seemed to hang in the air for a second before dissipating into brilliant diamond sparkles and then into nothing. I beamed and looked down at my wand with pride, because it _was_ my wand and it felt powerful and so did I.

“As I thought… You are now the owner of a beech wand, Miss Zabini.” My head snapped up and I had to force my mouth closed when my initial reaction was to gape at the man. “A highly prized wand wood, capable of immensely powerful magic for those who resonate with its inherent subtlety and artistry. Yes… beech, dragon heartstring, eleven inches, surprisingly supple. I would warn you that this wand in the hands of another could have potentially disastrous results, let alone in your hands if misused Miss Zabini…”

“I understand… Thank you.”

Mr Ollivander nodded vacantly, casting one more curiously furtive glance over Blaise and I before Dippy sprung forwards to pay for our wands. They were repackaged and wrapped carefully in silvery paper before Dippy Banished them to the estate to our silent dismay. We were hurried out of Ollivander’s and led a small way down the lane to Amanuensis Quills where Blaise picked out a particularly handsome peacock feather quill that glistened with rich blues and greens and coppers while I found a majestic white quill that glistened an iridescent gold when it caught the light; the tag identified it as a Thunderbird feather quill and while highly expensive, the added bonus of it thinning out ink and making it last longer as the user wrote seemed to offset the slightly whimsical expense.

After purchasing a large supply of fine inks and rolls of buttery parchment (which were hastily Banished along with our quills) we crossed the street to Twilfitt and Tatting’s where we were fitted for our school robes and hats, along with the softest dragonhide gloves on offer and matching winter cloaks of a thick and heavily enchanted black fabric. Once our bags were sent back to the estate, we dropped into Potage’s Cauldron Shop to buy our pewter size-two’s before Dippy allowed us to stop in at Sugarplum’s Sweet Shop so Blaise and I could nab ourselves a treat.

Armed with our spoils of Peppermint Toads and Fudge Flies respectively, my brother and I allowed ourselves to be led along to Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment where we both purchased a set of stunning crystal phials rimmed with gold, a silver plated telescope for our Astronomy class and a set of enchanted and collapsible scales. We also managed to cajole Dippy into allowing us to enter Eyelops’ Owl Emporium alone to buy owl treats and supplement pellets as well as fine leather anklets which we had stamped with the names of our birds.

Flourish and Blotts was our last stop and Dippy was more than happy to let us take our time in the shop and add to our set books with any titles that struck our fancy. Blaise picked up several titles as he tailed me through the shelves, replacing all but one book which delved into alchemy of all things and I received an easy shrug of dismissal when I sent a curious look his way.

I, on the other hand, was hard pressed to keep my tower of texts from slipping as I made my way through and seized anything that looked useful or exceedingly interesting: the entire _Standard Book of Spells_ collection along with the number of follow up titles for our first year Potions, Transfiguration, and Defence Against the Dark Arts books, _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_ , _Extreme Incantations_ , _Curses and Counter-Curses_ , _Healer’s Helpmate_ , and _Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes_ , along with several untitled journals about studies on various magical creatures.

Blaise gave me an incredulous look as I carted them all up to the counter in several trips alongside our school books and I gave the book seller a stony glare when he chuckled patronisingly and asked me if I expected my parents to pay in instalments. He fell silent fairly quickly when Dippy slid a small heap of Galleons in front of him and received a blinding smile from me as I waved on our way to the door, stacks of neatly wrapped books levitating ahead of us courtesy of house elf magic.

We were given one last opportunity to buy any extras that might have slipped our mind but after reassuring Dippy that we had more than enough when factoring in the mountain of presents waiting for us, we were promptly Apparated back to our parlour at home. Dippy quickly Disapparated to make a start on supper so Blaise and I threw ourselves down on the Persian rug and began divvying up the labelled packages.

“A lot of yours seem to be small,” Blaise noted as we started to establish our own piles. “But we both have these huge boxes. What do you think those are about?”

“Trunks maybe?” I theorised, casting a shrewd eye over our haul and realising that Blaise was indeed correct about the size disparity. “I think that’s the only thing we don’t have already that we didn’t buy this afternoon.”

“Maybe. Although this entire thing reeks of bribery; it’s not exactly subtle that he’s showering us with money but will barely speak more than a sentence to either of us directly.”

“He was just eager to conduct ‘business with Estelle’,” I simpered, poorly imitating his deep Russian voice which garnered a snort and wicked grin from my brother. “Do you think he’ll be husband number four?”

“I don’t doubt it. I give it until Easter.” Blaise’s smile had dropped and he was characteristically serious and composed as he tossed the last package onto my pile. “Now come on, let’s get these bribes opened up before Dippy comes back.”

The large boxes did, in fact, turn out to be trunks: well-made cases of sturdy wood and smooth black leather with the initials B.Z stamped in gold on Blaise’s trunk and silver on mine. We also both received wand maintenance kits, small two-way mirrors so we could communicate across distances, a hefty sack of Galleons as ‘spending money’ and a book each about common European spells and potions that had fallen to the wayside in Britain. Blaise slid his potions book to me with a face of disgust before moving onto his more uniquely shaped gifts.

“A Nimbus Two Thousand?!” I screeched, jealously bubbling up in my chest when he had unwrapped the cylindrical parcel. “I don’t have anything big enough to be a broom! How come you get the broom because you’re a _boy_?”

“I don’t really think I’ll enjoy flying, gemella,” Blaise soothed, moving onto his next gift and discovering a broom servicing kit. “How about we share it? It’s not like we can bring it with us this year anyway.”

I was less than pleased but moved on to my own packages with what I hoped was a dignified sniff. My presents were indeed far more feminine, resulting in several admittedly pretty sets of jewellery and silk nightgowns along with a gamut of beauty potions and makeup that I stared at blankly. I was only turning twelve in November; what was I supposed to do with these? The remainder of Blaise’s gifts were books that he didn’t seem all that interested in and so willingly turned them over to me. I was appeased by the offering and happily dropped a kiss on his cheek as we called Dippy to move our new things back to our rooms.

The rest of my day leading up to supper, and eventually bed, had been filled with carefully unwrapping the day’s purchases and eagerly scouring the pages as I decided which items to take with me or leave behind at home. I packed and repacked my large trunk several times, finally deciding on packing only nightgowns, one set of pearls and a variety of earrings out of my distinctly girly gifts (the rest relegated to my vanity’s drawers) and piling everything else into the trunk after much deliberation.

Only my wand and four books remained unpacked for me to read: _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_ , _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ , _Magical Theory_ , and _A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration_. All had compelling introductions and were written about subjects that I found the most intriguing and I planned to work through at least two of them before September 1st rolled around.

I settled into bed that night with a large smile on my face and felt a thrill of excitement run through me more than once, realising that this was officially the start of our formal wizarding education and the true beginning of our lives. And what a beginning it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	2. One - Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellen and Blaise depart for Hogwarts and meet some of their future House mates while aboard the Hogwarts Express. The foundations for the wider Slytherin dynamic are laid when Bellen gets a head start on impressing the boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you all love Dippy as much as my beta-readers and I do. You'll be seeing plenty of her throughout the story, have no fear. Seeing Draco evolve alongside Bellen is also going to be a common theme in the story so enjoy 100%-canon Draco while you can!

“Is young sir and miss ready to leave?” Dippy’s squeaky voice echoed in the large space of the entrance hall and Blaise and I simply nodded in response. We were dressed in complimentary outfits yet again: me in a black skirt and a cream knit jumper while Blaise mirrored me in trousers and a dress shirt, right down to the shiny black brogues we wore. “Mistress says Dippy is not to disturb her and says goodbye to young sir and miss.”

“Love you too maman…” I mumbled and Blaise’s hand tightened a little around my free one. Our other hands were glued to our trunks and cages so they would travel along with us to King’s Cross when Dippy Disapparated, and our carry-on belongings were tucked away in a messenger bag slung over my body.

“Dippy will go now young sir and miss!”

I appreciated the warning and only just had enough time to close my eyes before there was a vicious lurch and a dizzying sucking sensation before the ground rematerialised under us, the sudden loud noises and the thick humidity in the air making my already achy head swim uneasily. Leaning my weight on my trunk a little more heavily, I waved off Blaise’s concern with a tight smile and sucked in a steadying breath before straightening and wiping my face clean of any discomfort.

“We is right on time young sir and miss! Come, come, Dippy will get miss and sir’s luggage onto the train.”

“Thank you Dippy,” I murmured, allowing her to levitate our trunks and cages while we set off along the platform. The scarlet steam engine and the subsequent carriages were all gleaming from a mix of vigorous cleaning and the condensation from the great gouts of steam seeming to be let off every few minutes.

We eventually reached an area of the platform that Dippy seemed happy with, somewhere around the last third of the train, and we waited obediently as she guided our luggage onto the train and presumably onto the appropriate racks in a compartment. She emerged with a brilliant smile and we mirrored it slightly more sedately as Dippy bustled back over and clasped our hands in hers.

“Dippy is going to be very lonely without young sir and miss at home, but Dippy hopes young sir and miss has a good time at Hogwarts!”

“We’ll miss you too Dippy,” Blaise reassured her, smiling just a little wider as I nodded earnestly alongside him. “I’m sure Hogwarts will be great fun. Bellen and I will be home for Christmas, so we’ll see you and Mother then.”

“Dippy will tell Mistress that young sir and miss will see her soon.” Dippy nodded solemnly and I couldn’t stop smiling as her ears moved with the motion. Pulling one hand free, the house elf clicked her fingers and two pouches of coins appeared in the air in front of us which she quickly tucked away into my bag. “Dippy is making sure young sir and miss has enough money for the year in case Mistress or Dippy cannot help. Dippy is having to leave now, goodbye young sir and miss!”

“Thank you, take care Dippy.”

“Goodbye!”

After a few more smiles and hand pats Dippy stepped back and Disapparated with a loud crack which drew several curious eyes to us. Blaise was the one to turn away first, lightly tugging on my hand and leading me onto the train to peek into the first compartment we came across. Salazar and Morgana’s cages were resting on the seats in the second compartment we checked and we gratefully slipped inside, shutting the door firmly behind us and stowing the owls in the luggage rack above as we sprawled out in the window seats.

“So… This is it.”

“This is it,” I sighed, digging Blaise’s wand and money out of my bag and passing them across to him. “I’m still rather annoyed that Mother couldn’t even be bothered to see us off. It’s our first year for Merlin’s sake!”

“Yes well, when has she really paid attention to us for anything that couldn’t be used as some sort of tabloid opportunity or benefit at a social function?” Blaise stared out of the window stonily at the brown brick of the wall and felt my brow furrow in sympathetic frustration which took several seconds to wipe away completely.

“But it’s alright now Blaise; we’re off to Hogwarts and we’ll always be there for each other.”

“I really hope that’s true Bell…”

I sighed a little at his pessimism but didn’t comment, choosing instead to pull my own wand and my bookmarked copy of _Magical Theory_ out in order to practise the Levitation Charm Blaise had told me about. He had chosen to peruse his Charms textbook while I eagerly devoured the one for Transfiguration and we had each walked the other through the most basic spells we were likely to cover first in classes.

Several days of intense practising later, after I had successfully turned several matchsticks into particularly fine sewing needles and Blaise had subsequently sent them all floating up to the ceiling, we agreed to swap spells and work on them with each other’s assistance until we were both successful. But while Blaise had successfully managed the Transfiguration, I was still having trouble sustaining my Levitation Charm. Anything heavier than a match seemed eager to pitch and roll in mid-air before finally plummeting towards the ground on a whim. But just as I had raised my wand and was about to attempt to replicate Blaise’s delicate swish-and-flick motions for the spell, the compartment door slid open.

“…Hello.” A fairly tall and thin boy stood in the corridor, trunk and empty owl cage propped up at his side and a book tucked under his free left arm as he regarded us coolly. He had a strange face, too slim and well proportioned to be considered ugly, but too bony and angled to be entirely pleasing. He had thin lips, a long straight nose, dark brown hair which was swept neatly away from his forehead and even darker eyes.

“Hello.” Blaise greeted readily, eyes darting over the new arrival curiously.

“Is there a seat spare?” the boy questioned, eyes flicking from the empty seats in front of him to Blaise, then me. I nodded with a slight smile, wand hand dropping to rest in my lap on top of _Magical Theory_.

“Of course. Would you like a hand with your trunk?”

Before the boy could answer me, Blaise raised his own wand and with a confident swish-and-flick alongside a firm ‘Wingardium Leviosa’, his trunk had floated into the compartment and up into the racks to alight neatly next to ours. I grinned proudly at Blaise and he looked fairly chuffed as he tucked his wand up his shirt sleeve, the boy sitting in a seat one away from Blaise after sliding the door shut and giving him an impressed once over.

“Blaise Zabini,” my brother offered, hand extended for a polite shake. “And this is my twin sister, Bellen Zabini.”

“Theodore Nott.” The boy – Theodore – nodded first at Blaise and then me as they shook hands firmly.

“Pleasure to meet you.” I smiled politely and just as I had taken a breath to go on-

“Ah, good, Nott.” The door had opened once more to reveal three more boys, two short and brutish looking brunets alongside a pale boy with a pointed face and slicked back platinum blond hair. “These two must be first years as well then.” The blond boy pushed his way inside, stowing his trunk in the rack above my head before claiming the seat one to the right of me. The other two boys also swung their trunks up into the racks with an unnecessary racket before far more carefully stowing a cage containing a handsome Eurasian Eagle owl on top.

“Malfoy,” Theodore nodded calmly at the blond boy and cast a blank look at the other two before his eyes returned to me and Blaise. “This is Blaise and Bellen Zabini.”

“Zabini?” Malfoy parroted curiously, pale grey eyes flitting between me and my brother as his eyebrows raised slightly. “I remember my father telling me that you and your mother attended the charity gala we hosted the Christmas before last. I’m surprised we haven’t spoken before now. I’m Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. This is Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle-” He indicated each of the unknown boys in turn. “Our fathers work closely. Crabbe, Goyle, that’s Theodore Nott; our fathers also know each other.” I had a feeling that referring to each other by last names was quickly going to become a defining trait in future interactions and decided to get into the habit until it became explicitly clear who to relax around.

At that moment the train jerked into life and began pulling away from the platform, a general clamour from the corridor indicating that students were hanging out of windows to wave and yell goodbye to their loved ones. Theodore ( _Nott_ , I firmly reminded myself) pulled an exasperated face and cracked open his book, the black canvas cover revealing no words or engraving by which to identify it. Malfoy, correctly realising that he was unlikely to get much more attention from Nott, shifted his focus to us instead.

“What sort of a name is _Bellen_ anyway?”

The two apes – Crabbe and Goyle – guffawed at the question from their seats flanking the door to the compartment. I rolled my eyes internally but kept my gaze steadily on Malfoy. I had a feeling that I was being tested; that as the only female of the bunch I had to be sniffed out for weakness first and foremost. So I blinked calmly and settled back into my seat, sweeping a lock of hair behind my ear before clasping my hands around my wand in my lap.

“It has French origins. So does Blaise.”

“ **But I suppose you can’t actually speak it, can you?** ” Malfoy drawled smugly in admittedly very fluent French, only to be curtailed seconds later by my brother.

“ **Of course we can.** ”

“ **That and Italian,** ” I chimed in, fighting down a grin as Malfoy tilted his head in grudging respect as he eyed us curiously. He seemed satisfied after his small bout of interrogation and seemed far less hostile as his gaze lighted upon my lap.

“What have you got there?”

“Magical Theory,” I explained, turning it to show the spine of the brown book. “I’m midway through but I only pulled it out to practise the Levitation Charm.”

“Go on then.” Malfoy ordered, settling back into his seat as if readying himself for a spectacle.

“We ain’t supposed to do magic outside school!” Crabbe piped up, piggy eyes narrowing in on me. “We’re underage.”

“The Trace only picks up magic in an area, not who cast it,” I dismissed with an impatient headshake.

“We’ve been mucking around with Mother’s wand and making the house elf float things around for us since we could crawl. Nothing we did could be nailed to either of us definitively.” Blaise added with a small smirk and from the dumb looks on Crabbe and Goyle’s face, they either hadn’t considered the idea or simply didn’t understand it. Nott looked mildly impressed but Malfoy waved his hand impatiently.

“Yes yes, anyone could have told you that. Now are you going to do the spell or not?” My eyes rolled without conscious thought and I quickly swivelled and raised my wand to distract from the slip in etiquette. Blaise helpfully took the book from me and laid it flat on his open palms just lower than eye level.

“Wingardium Leviosa.” I said levelly, moving my wand smoothly in the required motion and taking inspiration from Blaise’s earlier display, guiding the book’s ascent with the tip of my wand instead of keeping it stationary as I had been doing previously. _Magical Theory_ rose steadily, hovering near the ceiling for several seconds before I carefully lowered it back into Blaise’s hands with a smug smile. I had aced the Charm for the first time and in front of a highly critical audience no less; this had definitely landed me some respect points with my year mates.

“Not bad Zabini,” Malfoy commented. “You might even be able to keep up with the rest of us.” Going by the gormless gaping Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be doing, I would be a long way ahead of some people at the very least. I just dipped my head slightly in cool acknowledgement of his back-handed compliment and took my book back from Blaise with a pleased little smile.

I opened up _Magical Theory_ to its marked page and settled in to read, left shoulder pressed against the wall and head resting on the cool glass of the window as I sunk into the words on the page. Blaise and Malfoy seemed to be conversing pleasantly enough with the odd comment from Nott when he glanced up from his own text and Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be content muttering amongst themselves.

The countryside rushed past blurrily on my left and at some point sweets were unearthed from pockets and trunks, shared out between us and scattered over the free seats as we picked through the haul for our favourites.

Blaise nabbed a jumbo packet of Fudge Flies before Goyle could get his hands on them and passed them to me with a grin. Malfoy lobbed opened Chocolate Frogs across the compartment to everyone as he vetted each one for the cards he needed, earning an impressed smirk from him when I caught a particularly sloppy throw in my right hand without even looking up from my book. Crabbe and Goyle ended up covered in sticky patches, crumbs and smears of chocolate once the sweets had been exhausted and Nott was still grimacing at the aftertaste of his last Bertie Bott’s bean: curdled milk.

The peace was disturbed by a ruckus in the corridor: the trampling of feet back and forth outside the compartment and voices raised over hissing whispers.

“-on the platform!”

“Stephen swore to Merlin he’d seen him-”

“-even saw his scar-”

“Harry Potter?”

“-further up the train, come on!”

We all looked at each other in unison, identical expressions of confused interest on every face. Nott blinked before returning to his book although his eyes seemed to move far slower across the page than they had been only seconds previously. Malfoy jumped to his feet, motioning Crabbe and Goyle to do the same with a measured flick of a hand – it was almost sickening how quickly they rushed to obey.

“I’m going to take a look,” he announced, straightening importantly and running his eyes over us imperiously. “Find out if it’s true. I expect it won’t take long. Crabbe, Goyle, with me.”

The trio swept out into the corridor, at least having the good grace to slide the door shut behind them before they hurried off. Nott, Blaise and I shared similar mildly exasperated expressions and I shut my book with a resigned sigh, knowing there would be no way to concentrate once the boys made it back. Nott copied me with a slight frown and shifted his attention to my brother when he spoke up.

“Think it’s true? That Harry Potter is really on the train?”

“Might be,” Nott mused, setting his book on the seat next to him after he swept a pile of sweet wrappers onto the floor. “He should be around our age. Didn’t he get brought up by Muggles?” Blaise and I shrugged in unison and I saw Nott’s mouth quirk up slightly before the motion was gone and he continued. “Either way I don’t think Malfoy will have any luck trying to rope him in, as long as he’s nothing like Crabbe and Goyle that is.”

“You have a point,” I allowed, stretching slightly and doing a double take when I realised how dark it was outside. The bright sun of the afternoon had blended seamlessly with the lamplight of the compartment and made it difficult to notice the change as occupied as we were. “Look, we should be arriving soon. We should get our robes on so we don’t have to fight with the others for space when they get back.”

The boys nodded in agreement and we helped each other get our trunks down, pulling out our robes and shrugging them on before stowing the luggage overhead once more. Just as we had settled back into our seats Malfoy and his cronies came barging back into the compartment, the blond’s cheeks tinged a faint patchy pink and Goyle nursing his left hand with a furious scowl on his face.

“Potter’s shacked up with a _Wealsey_!” Malfoy hissed, reaching up and yanking his trunk down from the rack, nearly clobbering me round the head in the process. “Sorry Zabini. Can you believe it? Father always said the Potters’ reputation was irredeemable after that Mudblood married into the family but I never expected Potter to be the same as his father!”

“I guess we’ll just have to be patient and see how he turns out.” Nott’s voice was calm and he shot me and Blaise a slyly amused look before getting to his feet. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle all pulled on their robes and shoved their trunks back up onto the racks as the train began to slow drastically. A disembodied voice chimed out through the train announcing that we would be arriving at Hogsmeade in five minutes.

I stowed my book in my bag along with my wand and tucked the messenger bag to the side so it was hidden away under my robes. I jumped up on the seats to reach through the bars of Salazar’s cage to scratch under a wing before hopping down and allowing myself to be ushered out into the corridor with the rest of the boys.

Blaise didn’t outright hold my hand but his little finger hooked through mine to ensure I wasn’t swept off in the crush of people as students jostled to head for the doors. Nott stayed close on my left side while Malfoy (headed by Crabbe and Goyle) cleared a path through the crowd. We stepped out onto the dark platform and I shivered as a cold crosswind blasted across the crowd.

“Firs’ years! Firs’ years over here! All right there Harry?”

We all craned our heads to get a good view, eyes bouncing between the hulking bearded man with long wild hair and the small black-haired boy the giant man was smiling at: Harry Potter. Blaise let out a low whistle and sneakily tugged me a little closer.

“What is _that_?” Nott drawled, eyes fixed on the hulking figure who was calling out for any first year stragglers before leading us all off along the platform.

“Hagrid, the giant half breed Dumbledore lets manage the grounds and Forbidden Forest,” Malfoy informed us, grey eyes flitting between Hagrid’s back and the front of our little cluster where Harry Potter was walking next to a slightly taller ginger boy who must have been a Weasley. “I’m surprised it can speak.”

I frowned to myself but stayed quiet, knowing that any questions would be taken as sympathy and I didn’t need to be told to know how bad of an idea that would have been. Social suicide within the first day of arriving did not sound like the best way to start my Hogwarts experience. After a few more minutes we reached a dark lake where a fleet of wooden boats were dragged up onto the rocky shore. Across the expanse of the black glassy water a craggy cliff rose up to the sky, a magnificent stone castle perched on top with golden light glittering out into the night from a countless number of windows.

It was beautiful and I couldn’t have fought back my smile if I tried.

We were told to divide up with no more than four to a boat so Blaise and I automatically headed for an empty craft, swiftly followed by Nott and surprisingly Malfoy who shoved Crabbe and Goyle aside to clamber inside and plop down in the last free spot opposite Blaise. The boats set out across the lake at Hagrid’s command, moving smoothly over the water as they ate up the distance between us and Hogwarts.

We drew closer to the base of the cliffs and were told to duck our heads as the boats filed through a cave entrance draped in ivy and other crawlers, leading into a dark rocky passage that extended some way into the heart of the cliff before opening up into a subterranean harbour. The boats slid up onto the small rocky beach and Nott helped me out onto solid ground before the other three followed. Some incompetent boy was reunited with his toad, Trevor (even I felt my lip curl into a slightly derisive sneer), before Hagrid stepped up to the large door set into the far wall and knocked firmly.

The door was opened by a severe looking witch dressed in green robes who Hagrid greeted as Professor McGonagall. Her Scottish accent wasn’t surprising therefore when she spoke, thanking the half giant and pulling the door wide to usher us into the hall beyond. I looked around curiously, turning my head as I let Blaise tow me along so I could more closely examine the carved balustrade of the marble staircase leading up higher into the castle.

We were all corralled into an antechamber and forced to cluster closer together than was strictly comfortable as Professor McGonagall closed the door behind herself and turned to face us. Our small group from the train was now fairly near the front and those that had previously headed the pack were shoved into the back corners of the room. Blaise stayed firmly at my side; our interlocked fingers hidden from any straying attention by the long loose sleeves of our robes as the professor began to speak.

“Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term banquet will begin shortly but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be Sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory and spend free time in your House common room.”

“As if we don’t know all of this already.” A low murmur came from behind me and I turned my head just far enough to catch sight of platinum hair out of the corner of my eye. “Why won’t she just get on with it?”

“Muggleborns,” Nott whispered back from my left, lips barely opening as he kept his gaze on Professor McGonagall. “Sh.”

“The Sorting ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly.” And with a few pointed looks she was gone, the door closed firmly behind her while an uneasy buzz began to grow in the hollow silence left behind.

“Well, Slytherin is the only real option isn’t it?” demanded Malfoy as our small group rotated to face in towards each other. “Gryffindor is for brash idiots who can’t do much besides yell a spell at something, Ravenclaw is for insufferable know-it-all’s whose only friends are books, and Hufflepuff sweeps up the leftovers. I would throw myself to the Giant Squid if I ended up in any of those.”

“The Giant Squid?” I asked curiously, uncowed when Malfoy’s eyes met mine. “In the lake you mean?”

“Yes, in the Lake!” He huffed impatiently. “Of course, _you_ wouldn’t know much about being at Hogwarts, your father isn’t exactly around to tell you about it.”

“Because, funnily enough, he’s dead.” I replied with an icy glare and that shut him up pretty effectively. Blaise readjusted to hold my hand properly and give it a comforting squeeze and I gave him a wan smile before fixing my attention to the other end of the room where a congregation of ghosts had apparently just drifted in through the back wall. My brother followed my eyes and hummed quietly.

“Do they usually do that?”

“That’s what my father said. Pretty nasty to walk through one if they pop out of the wall unexpectedly. Slytherin’s House ghost is the Bloody Baron, likes to clank around in the Astronomy Tower.” Malfoy was a veritable font of information and for a moment I contemplated teasing him for the Ravenclaw tendency, but I wasn’t too impressed with him after the comment about our father so I let the moment pass.

“The Sorting Ceremony’s about to start. Now, form a line and follow me.” Professor McGonagall had reappeared without fanfare and now loomed in the doorway as we all jostled to create the closest approximation of a line as we could in the cramped chamber. We all filed out behind her and she led us neatly to the large double doors on the opposite side of the Entrance Hall and pulled them open, revealing the incredible interior to our eyes.

The ceiling of the Great Hall was a thick black, dotted with thousands of twinkling stars which seemed to mirror the glimpses of night sky I could see out of the huge arched windows lining the walls. Hundreds of candles hovered in the air above the four long House tables and the professors’ table which was set on a raised dais at the head of the Hall. The tables were laid with gleaming goldware and the few ghosts scattered across the Hall shone with a cloudy silver glow, both they and the students gawking unashamedly at us as we were led down the central aisle to the raised dais where a stool and a ragged black hat were waiting.

We all stepped up into a ragged line behind the stool, backs to the High Table and facing out to the sea of students as they stared expectantly back at us. I kept my head high, eyes sharp and breathing even as I focused on a point of dead space and felt as Blaise tightened his hold on my hand supportively. Professor McGonagall stood off to one side and opened up a large roll of parchment before clearing her throat and addressing the Hall at large.

“When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be Sorted. Abbott, Hannah!”

“We’ll be together,” Blaise whispered under his breath, only tilting his head infinitesimally closer to mine to ensure I could hear him. “Always.” Before he had reassured me, I hadn’t even realised that that was what I had been so afraid of: Blaise being taken from me, leaving us to fend for ourselves when for every waking moment of our lives we had always had each other above everything else. I nodded slightly and squeezed his hand back, taking a steadying breath and trying to pay attention as our fellow first years were Sorted.

Crabbe and Goyle ended up in Slytherin, as did girls called Millicent Bulstrode, Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass. Malfoy was delegated a Slytherin as soon as the Sorting Hat touched his head and he swanned off to the House table on the far right of the Hall with a smug smirk in place. Nott too was Sorted into Slytherin along with a girl called Pansy Parkinson. And then came our resident celebrity.

“Potter, Harry!”

“ _Potter_ , did she say?”

“ _The_ Harry Potter?”

Every eye in the Hall was on him as he stepped forwards, having the Sorting Hat deposited on his head and shakily lowering himself onto the now empty stool. You could hear a moth bumping into the wall in the ringing silence that held the room, all waiting to hear where the Boy Who Lived would spend the next seven years at Hogwarts. The seconds dragged painfully, seeming almost never ending until finally-

“GRYFFINDOR!”

The table on the far left exploded and Potter stood in a daze, stumbling his way over to the Gryffindor table and being pulled into an empty space by some older students. Lisa Turpin became a Ravenclaw, Weasley – first name Ronald – joined Potter in Gryffindor and then suddenly (‘Zabini, Bellen!’) it was my turn. I felt Blaise bestow one more crushing squeeze before he let me go, a silent presence behind me as I stepped forwards and let McGonagall lower the Hat on my head as I sat down smoothly.

“Interesting,” a tiny voice mused in my ears, pleasant but still reminding me of the dull buzz of insect wings. “Lots to see here. Empathy, but not nearly enough to put you in Hufflepuff. What some might call bravery but boils down to a refusal to give in, to be seen as weak, so Gryffindor wouldn’t be a good match. You _do_ have a thirst for knowledge… then again, more for selfish acquisition and potential benefit to you and yours. So, if not Ravenclaw it had better be-

“SLYTHERIN!”

I smiled in relief as the hat was removed, rising gracefully and slipping off towards the cheering Slytherin table with one last look over my shoulder at my other half as he stepped up to be Sorted. I was lucky enough to catch Nott’s eye and he waved me over, allowing me to slip into a space on his left towards the near end of the House table where the rest of our first year Slytherins seemed to be clumped together.

“I knew you would make it,” Malfoy greeted with a dismissive sniff. “Although you and Nott would fit well in Ravenclaw what with all that reading you did on the train.”

I was saved from responding when a call of ‘Slytherin’ rung out across the Hall, whirling around to beam and clap for Blaise as he made his way down from the dais and dropped onto the bench next to me. We wrapped our arms round each other and hugged fiercely for a second before we parted with identical smiles and straightened in our seats to greet our House mates. But we were delayed as Headmaster Dumbledore got to his feet, arms spread wide as he smiled out to the students at large.

“Welcome, welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak. Thank you!”

“Now I know what Father meant, he’s cracked.” Malfoy shook his head and reached for a crystal flagon which was now suddenly full of pumpkin juice. In fact, every platter and flagon and jug and boat and tureen and dish was now piled with food and drink and condiments where the table had been bare only seconds before. We all began to load up our plates with impeccable poise, the glaring exceptions being Crabbe, Goyle and Bulstrode surprisingly enough. But she did look rather troll like, so perhaps it should have been less of a shock than it was. “Right everyone, this is Blaise Zabini and his twin sister Bellen Zabini.

“Zabini’s, here you have Daphne Greengrass-” A sweet looking girl with pretty blue eyes and cornsilk blonde hair pinned up into a French twist. The Greengrass’s were a middling pureblood family, below the Malfoy’s, Nott’s and our family, somewhere on a level with the Parkinson’s, Crabbe’s and Goyle’s in ranking who topped the others at the table. “Pansy Parkinson-” A short girl with a severe black bob and a puggish face with the most nasal and exaggerated received pronunciation I had ever heard. “Millicent Bulstrode-” Troll like with lank brown hair, flat features and muddy brown eyes. Underwhelming. “And Davis, a half-blood.” Tracey Davis looked slightly wounded but unsurprised as she was tactlessly brushed aside. Her auburn hair was pretty, wavy and long and catching the light in all the right ways, and her freckled face and light brown eyes were nothing offensive either. But her blood status clearly was.

“It’s lovely to meet you all,” I said graciously, channelling as much of Mother’s behaviour from various dinner parties as I could remember. Spearing a dainty bite of roast pork, Parisienne potatoes and green beans on my fork, I let it hang idly over my plate as I turned my attention to Greengrass. “Daphne, your hair looks gorgeous; you must teach me how to do a twist like that some time! Mine never wants to co-operate.”

“I would love to Bellen, your hair looks so beautiful.” Daphne gave me a small pleased smile and my own matching smile was wide and sincere. My waist length hair was a point of pride for me and Greengrass’s compliment, empty or otherwise, still fluffed up my ego a little. The boys along with Bulstrode and Davis looked a little clueless but Parkinson had her wide-set eyes fixed shrewdly on me.

“What kind of name is Bellin anyway?” Her tone was accusatory and I had to force back an eyeroll as I chewed calmly on my mouthful of food, holding up a finger to keep her quiet when she seemed ready to speak once more.

“Oh, I agree. Bellin is an awful name and I’m very grateful it isn’t mine.” Blaise was smirking next to me and even Davis, Nott and Greengrass seemed vaguely amused. Malfoy was impassive as ever and the remaining three were too busy stuffing their faces to pay us any attention. “Either way, I don’t need approval from the likes of you Parkinson. I was going to ask you about your earrings since they are quite lovely, but now it would just seem insincere so I won’t bother you. Please, do take notes.”

I returned to my meal without further fanfare and saw Parkinson’s face go a very patchy red colour as she blustered silently, shooting me one last poisonous glare before turning to mutter quietly with Bulstrode. There was comfortable silence while we finished our meals, broken only by the odd question or comment which Malfoy seemed all too happy to jump in on. He was eager to assert his position and I let him, more content to observe my House mates and wonder who would be the best friendship candidates. Clearly Parkinson, Bulstrode and her male lookalikes were a hard no.

We made our way through dessert in a similar fashion although thankfully it didn’t take even half as long before people seemed to have polished off their food and the tables were cleared instantly. Dumbledore got to his feet once more and had the attention of the entire Hall in a matter of seconds.

“Ahem – just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start of term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils; and a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

“Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death. And now, bedtime. Off you trot!”

We all shot each other equally incredulous looks before scrambling to our feet, sticking together in our group as the newest Slytherin Prefects (two fifth years who introduced themselves as Codds and Harpis) got us in hand and led us out of the Great Hall and down into the dungeons. The passages were dark and gloomy and any sound travelled disconcertingly far, echoes distorted and muffled on the slightly damp stone surfaces.

“The entrance to the common room is here,” Codds monotoned, expression far surpassing bored as he gestured at the blank stretch of wall behind him. “Right opposite this torch with a snake carved into the bracket. Password is ouroboros.”

The blank stretch of wall slid open to reveal the common room, with a wide and fairly low ceiling from which hung a multitude of gently swaying green lanterns. The room was furnished in rich greens, silvers and the occasional splash of black from throw blankets and ebony wood furniture. Though cool and smelling distinctly coastal and salty, the room seemed close and comforting even with all its blatant opulence.

“The message board shows when the password changes, advertises various clubs, Quidditch practices and matches, all sorts, so make sure you check it every once in a while. Boys’ dormitories are off to the left, girls’ to the right. Your dorm rooms will be the first doors you come to. Now for Merlin’s sake, get to bed and don’t lose us too many House points this year.” Harpis left us all with a cool stare and narrowed eyes, being trailed by her fellow Prefect over to the armchairs beside the fireplace where they sat down with their heads close together.

“Go get some rest Bell,” Blaise murmured, hugging me for a second before dropping a light kiss on each of my cheeks. “Meet you out here in the morning?”

“Of course. Night gemello.” I smiled and copied his swift kisses before darting off for the girls’ dorms, catching up with Greengrass who had been waiting for me in the doorway. We made our way down the passage a short distance before finding our door, clearly labelled with a gold plaque reading ‘First Year’.

Green lanterns also swung from the ceiling here and created a soft lull to the room, only strengthened by the faint rushing sound that seemed to come from everywhere all at once. I approached the dark windows and placed a hand on the icy glass, feeling the faint vibrations of water currents and correctly attributing it to the background noise. I headed to my bed, the closest to the door, and only unpacked enough to brush my teeth and change into a grey silk nightgown before crawling into bed and shutting the thick hangings around my bed.

Snuggled up under warm sheets with the faint sounds of the lake swirling beyond the walls around me and more than excited to hit the ground running the next morning, it didn’t take long for me to slip into a deep and fulfilling sleep; feeling more at home in a place I had spent not even eleven hours in than the place I had called home for the past eleven years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	3. Two - The Rivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellen successfully navigates her first few lessons of her first year, discovering her love of flying in the process. She definitely isn't a fan of Draco's behaviour, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Between Bellen and Harry constantly catching Draco's attention, he's got his hands full this chapter; Draco's just a bit jealous, bless his little heart.

Hogwarts was stunning.

The high stone walls, the flames dancing merrily in the wall sconces, the polished wood floors as well as the patchwork flagstones, the marble staircases that moved or had trick steps or led to nowhere or took you down a floor even though you had most certainly been running _up_ the stairs in an effort to reach Charms on time. By the grace of Merlin I had managed not to be late to a class even once, often dragging Blaise away from lunch twenty minutes early just in case we got lost or waylaid by Peeves the resident poltergeist on the way.

Thankfully our class schedule for the first week at least seemed to be cut down so as not to overwhelm us: only three of five Charms and Transfiguration classes, and only two for Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Transfiguration and Charms with the Hufflepuffs was an experience on its own.

While I had rather arrogantly expected Blaise and myself to be ahead of most people, we weren’t prepared for exactly how far off in the distance we seemed to be to our fellow classmates. In Professor McGonagall’s first class, after she had Transfigured her desk into a pig and back again, she had set us loose on matches as expected and I had turned my entire box into a mound of large silver needles before she had even done one full round of the class. Blaise was only a minute or so behind me and we had earned a tidy twenty points for Slytherin between us only five minutes into the class.

Malfoy was the only other student to make any significant progress for the remainder of the single lesson and while he didn’t fully Transfigure any of his matches, they all seemed to be markedly more pointed and silver than anyone else’s. The first Charms class passed in a similar fashion. We were tasked with lighting our wands using the incantation ‘Lumos’ and though neither Blaise or myself had practised it, we both managed to get a pretty white light to gather at our wand tips before too long. Nott and Malfoy weren’t far behind and they were soon tailed by Hannah Abbott of Hufflepuff.

We had Astronomy, History of Magic and Herbology with the Ravenclaws and those too were very unique sessions. History of Magic was taught by a ghost who, from the way he seemed to speak about the things he was teaching, might as well have lived each and every event himself. Most of the Ravenclaws seemed determined to make notes on his every word while we Slytherins made half-hearted attempts at best; it was more beneficial to take notes from our books in our own time than to fight through the clinging lethargy during one of Binns’ lectures.

Astronomy had potential to be interesting but was mind numbingly juvenile for now and learning how to correctly operate and orient a telescope was simply not worth the long trek up to the top of the Astronomy Tower. Herbology also seemed to be a Herculean trial wrapped in a pretty package. The greenhouses stank of fertiliser and swum with a muggy heat and that deadly combination guaranteed that the smell of soil and dung would seep its way into our clothes to follow us around for the rest of the day. Ravenclaws hissing facts back and forth like they had swallowed their books didn’t help matters either and even I could tell that some nasty hexes would be making their way to the eagles at the closest opportunity.

Which, from the looks of DADA, would end up being a long way in the future: Professor Quirrel was a stuttering wreck and we had spent our entire double with the Gryffindors writing out notes in near silence. To say the entire affair had been a crushing disappointment would have been the biggest understatement of the century.

My favourite part of the week had been Monday morning when the post owls arrived during breakfast in a great flurry of wings and soft hooting. I felt a swell of pride as Salazar’s imposing figure circled the Hall, easily the biggest bird in attendance by a long margin and drawing many awestruck faces upwards, before he caught sight of me and swooped down to alight carefully on the table next to me. Morgana was close behind and settled on Blaise’s outstretched forearm with an affectionate hoot.

“What is that thing, it’s huge!” Malfoy gaped, grey eyes fixed jealously on Salazar as I offered him some smoked kippers from Blaise’s plate.

“This is Salazar, he’s a Blakiston’s Fish owl,” I introduced easily, gently smoothing down his slightly messy leg feathers. But before I could carry on or Malfoy could interject, the handsome brown Eurasian from the train had swept down to land in front of the blond boy, a large parcel having been dropped neatly into his lap.

“Yes well, this is my Eurasian Eagle owl, Ares.” Malfoy tossed Ares a piece of bacon and the owl snapped it down, looking particularly snide and haughty as he ruffled his wings and eyed Morgana and Salazar. “Mother sent me sweets, she said she would. Sugar Quill Zabini?”

I accepted graciously, sucking on the end as I watched Ares shuffle along the table to Morgana where the two Eurasians regarded each other stonily, heads bobbing and rotating before they both seemed to relax: flapping their wings playfully at each other and good naturedly fighting over a stray piece of buttered toast. Salazar stayed at my side, happily chowing down on kippers and sardines and accepting one last pet before taking flight and heading outside for the Owlery.

That became a fairly consistent morning ritual. Malfoy would receive daily packages of food from his mother which he then sparingly shared with Nott, Blaise and I while Salazar and Morgana would drop in to steal sips of pumpkin juice or bites of leftovers before taking off once more. Friday was no exception and the moment I sat down Salazar made his descent alongside Morgana, both nibbling affectionately at mine and Blaise’s knuckles before squabbling over a scrap of smoked salmon.

Malfoy divvied up his haul of pumpkin pasties, Ice Mice, Acid Pops and Peppermint Toads between us four while we tucked into our breakfasts, seeing our owls off with hurried scratches and strokes after we had finished and rose from the table to make our way out of the Hall to our first Potions class. We intercepted Crabbe and Goyle on their way into the Hall for breakfast and Malfoy had to fork over two fistfuls of sweets to the boys to convince them to head down with us.

We all filed into the Potions classroom after finding the correct door with very little difficulty, all piling onto one of the biggest tables together, with Malfoy sandwiched between his two henchmen and Blaise and Nott either side of me as we sat opposite. Professor Snape swept into the room and stationed himself at the front, beginning the class by taking a register just as Flitwick had in Charms. I pulled out my parchment, ink and quill (receiving another jealous glance from Malfoy as the Thunderbird feather gleamed even in the low light) and encouraged the boys to do the same as Snape was talking.

“Ah yes, Harry Potter. Our new… _celebrity_.” Malfoy and his cronies snickered behind their hands as they pulled out their equipment and I tried to pay attention to the faces of the Gryffindors as they responded to their names being called out. Potter was joined by Weasley predictably enough, a frizzy haired bucktoothed girl called Granger and the ignoramus who had lost his toad called Trevor – Longbottom. It seemed unfortunate names were a reoccurring theme.

“You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making,” Snape began without preamble, his silky voice low and serious in the spellbound silence of the dungeon room. He held every student’s total attention effortlessly and I knew immediately that I wanted to have that kind of effect one day. “As there is little foolish wand waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don’t expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewildering the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death… If you aren’t as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.”

There was a thick silence and I knew there was look of complete rapture on my face; the way Snape had spoken made Potions sound like the most subtle and rewarding of all the schools of magic and I was eager to dive in immediately. But it was not to be.

“Potter!” Our Head of House barked, dark eyes fixed on the boy in question. “What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”

“I don’t know sir,” Potter mumbled and Granger’s hand punched into the air with an embarrassing level of desperation. I had to contain a snort and smirk behind the fluffy vane of my quill.

“Tut tut… Fame clearly isn’t everything. Let’s try again: Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?” Snape was sneering openly and pointedly ignoring Granger who shook her hand in the air as if trying to attract his attention by miming some sort of attack.

“I don’t know sir.” Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were quivering with silent laughter by this point and I had to bite down a smile as I shared a look with Blaise; it was common knowledge that Snape favoured Slytherins in his lessons and if this is what we had to look forward to for the next five to seven years then I had a feeling Potions would become one of my firm favourites.

“Thought you wouldn’t open a book before coming, eh Potter? What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?” At Snape’s newest question Granger jumped to her feet, fingertips nearly grazing the stone ceiling and I sneered at the spectacle she was making of herself.

“Granger’s going to wet herself if Snape doesn’t pick on her,” I murmured, nudging Nott and Blaise with my elbows lightly. They smirked in amusement but the moment didn’t last very long.

“I don’t know. I think Hermione does though, why don’t you ask her?” A few Gryffindors laughed outright at Potter’s comment and I felt my eyebrows drift up in grudging respect: it was a fairly impressive retort. Stupid, but impressive.

“Sit down!” Snape hissed at Granger before turning his attention back to the bespectacled boy. “For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of the goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant which also goes by the name of aconite.” There was a short pause and I immediately took the non-verbal cue and dipped the tip of my quill into my pot of glossy black ink. “Well? Why aren’t you all copying that down? And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter.”

The rest of the class scrabbled to pull their materials out onto the table before they forgot what Snape had just reeled off while I calmly penned each point in my swirling calligraphy, only pausing long enough for Nott and Blaise to lean over and read what I had written. We were sorted into pairs as notes were taken and Blaise was shifted a little further away to be paired with Goyle while I was left with Nott to brew the Cure for Boils potion.

We worked surprisingly well together, diligently adhering to each step of the potion and passing each other various ingredients almost wordlessly as we worked to prepare and add each ingredient to the cauldron. Snape had paused by us briefly to quietly compliment the smooth broil of our solution now that the porcupine quills had been added and the cauldron had been placed back over the open flame before continuing round the table. He passed Blaise and Goyle silently and stopped next to Malfoy and Crabbe, easily gathering the attention of the class as he encouraged us all to observe the perfect stew Malfoy had created for his horned slugs, when suddenly aggressive hissing and clouds of bright green smoke billowed across the dungeon.

Longbottom and his partner’s cauldron had melted into a warped lump of metal and their lurid potion was spreading across the floor, eating away at bags and shoes like acid. Those nearest the Gryffindors jumped up on their stools to avoid the rapidly expanding pool and Longbottom was covered head to foot in the stuff and whimpering like a wounded animal as angry boils covered any exposed skin.

“Idiot boy!” Snape snarled, Vanishing the noxious mess with a sharp flick of his wand. “I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire? Take him up to the Hospital Wing,” he spat at his partner without waiting for an answer and had whirled on Potter and Weasley half a second later. “You, Potter, why didn’t you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he’d make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That’s another point you’ve lost for Gryffindor.”

Malfoy snickered as Snape stalked away from an infuriated Potter and I had to make a conscious effort not to let my brows furrow; I had no issue with favouritism but that outburst had been a little uncalled for. At least Snape hadn’t been annoyed enough to take any more points unnecessarily.

“This is the best class we’ve had all week!” the blond crowed, relaxing back in his seat as he watched Crabbe shred their messy pile of dried nettles. “Precious Potter can’t get special treatment with Snape around; makes a nice change.”

“Unlike some,” Nott muttered under his breath and I had to fake a sneeze as a small snort slipped past my defences. Nott smirked at me and shot me the ghost of a wink with the eye Malfoy couldn’t see as he stared at us. “Bless you Zabini.”

We were the second to finish before the end of class, only narrowly behind Malfoy and Crabbe as they siphoned some of their potion into a provided glass phial to be labelled and handed to Snape for marking. Our Cure had a slightly thicker consistency than Malfoy’s and it seemed to be closer to the correct colour to boot, but Snape only gave Nott and I a small nod of acknowledgement whereas Malfoy got a quiet ‘well done’ from the tall man. I rolled my eyes but packed up without a fuss, only holding the other three back long enough for Blaise and Goyle to catch up before we made our way out of the dungeons.

Our free periods were spent out in the courtyard and then we filed in for lunch before trailing off for double Transfiguration straight after that. McGonagall still had us working with matches and as soon as Malfoy and Nott managed the Transfiguration with mine and Blaise’s guidance, we spent the rest of the class talking quietly amongst ourselves about Potions that morning. Our last class of the week was Astronomy well after dinner and we were all badmouthing the Ravenclaws on the journey back down to the dungeons as their incessant questions had kept us all back an extra fifteen minutes. Even Parkinson was too annoyed at the eagles to remember to avoid me, ranting on about a boy named Boot while I hummed and nodded along wordlessly.

Luckily we had no real homework to speak of and so the weekend passed quickly and without real fanfare. The majority of the second week slipped past just as calmly with Snape’s ‘Potter baiting’ quickly becoming the highlight of Potions for my fellow House mates. The only real point of interest had manifested in the form of a flyer on the House noticeboard, announcing flying lessons that would take place on Thursdays after lunch with the Gryffindors.

As soon as we had finished our various activities in the common room that afternoon, we all trampled down to the Training Grounds to find two lines of broomsticks lying in wait on the grass and no professor in sight. It didn’t take long for the Gryffindors to meander down the lawn and join us and only seconds later a hawkish looking woman arrived and introduced herself as Madam Hooch.

“Well, what are you all waiting for? Everyone stand by a broomstick, come on, hurry up!” We all scrambled to obey and I ended up directly across from Potter with Malfoy and Blaise on either side of me. “Stick your right hand out over your broom and say ‘up!’”

“Up!” Everyone shouted in near unison and I felt fairly pleased when the battered broom snapped into my hand firmly. Potter looked surprised that he had achieved the same result and Malfoy was the only other person I could see who had managed it first time. After a few attempts everyone ended up with a broom in their hand, even if some had sneakily grabbed onto their brooms in mid-air when they hadn’t quite made it all the way. Madam Hooch walked up and down correcting our grips and spent a long minute readjusting Malfoy’s grip much to his embarrassment and Potter and Weasley’s vicious glee.

“Now when I blow my whistle you kick off from the ground, hard,” Madam Hooch instructed from the head of our column. “Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle: three, two-!” But Longbottom had already bottled it; he kicked off and shot up at high speed. “Come back boy!”

“Shouldn’t she have a broom for this?” I mused, shading my eyes as I tracked his ascent with slight concern. All of a sudden Longbottom’s face went sheet white and he slipped off his broom, plummeting to the ground before Madam Hooch could draw her wand and landing with a loud thud and a sickening crack. I winced in sympathy and watched as Madam Hooch hurried over to the prone boy and began to sit him up and do damage assessment.

“Look at the broom go,” Malfoy nudged me and pointed up with a snicker, drawing my attention to the unmanned broom which was indeed listing and approaching the Forbidden Forest at a slightly alarming speed. “It flies better on its own than with that idiot riding it.”

“None of you is to move while I take this boy up to the Hospital Wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you’ll be out of Hogwarts faster than you can say ‘Quidditch’.” Madam Hooch warned before turning back to Longbottom and supporting his weight as she pulled him up off the floor. “Come on dear.” Longbottom’s face was a sickly colour and streaked with tears as he hobbled off with Hooch.

“Did you see his face, the fat lump!” Malfoy cackled as soon as they had disappeared over the hill and the rest of the Slytherins copied him, although I noticed Greengrass, Nott and Blaise merely smiled thinly and I kept totally quiet.

“Shut up Malfoy!”

“Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom? Never thought _you’d_ like fat little cry babies Parvati!” Parkinson shrieked, small eyes fixed on the Gryffindor Patil twin.

“Look! It’s that stupid thing Longbottom’s gran sent him,” Malfoy jumped forwards and scooped something up off the grass, holding it up for everyone to see. The small glass sphere shone in the afternoon sunlight and I saw Potter tense out of the corner of my eye. “Maybe if he’d have given this a squeeze he would have remembered to fall on his fat arse!” Even I couldn’t totally hold back a smile at his dig; he was clever, I would give him that.

“Give that here Malfoy.” Everyone went quiet and turned to look between the two; Potter whose green eyes were cold and angry behind his glasses and Malfoy who smirked at him, utterly relaxed and in control.

“I think I’ll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect… How about up a tree?”

“Give it _here_!” Potter demanded but Malfoy was already in the air, sat astride his broom and rising with ease to the top of a nearby oak and waving the Remembrall teasingly at Potter.

“This should be entertaining,” drawled Nott, our attention seized again as Potter swung himself over his broom and kicked off. He flew just as effortlessly as Malfoy but I was almost certain this was his first time flying. Apparently, he was just a natural at it. “Hopefully Malfoy doesn’t lose us many points.”

“I’m not so sure he’s going to lose us anything…” My eyes were fixed on the pair’s aerial standoff, Malfoy jetting out of the way as Potter shot towards him to some whoops and cheers from his Gryffindor fan club. My instincts were proved right when they levelled out and after a pause Malfoy flung the Remembrall as hard as he could before racing back to our gaggle of students without a moment’s hesitation.

Malfoy skidded to a stop in front of us and dismounted but we were all focused on Potter who was lying flat along his broom, racing the ball to the ground with a hand outstretched, closer and closer and Granger screamed- And then suddenly he had pulled up and toppled off his broomstick onto the grass below at a safe speed. Several people gasped in shock but they were interrupted by an enraged shout.

“HARRY POTTER!” McGonagall was running full tilt across the grass towards the boy and I heard Malfoy snicker to himself while several Gryffindors rushed forwards to defend Potter and check that he hadn’t died or something equally as tragic. I knew that at worst he had managed a sprained wrist from the fall and so turned my attention to the blond.

“Overdramatic, no?”

“Of course not!” Malfoy protested, eyes still fixed on Potter and grinning nastily at him as the boy was hustled past us and back towards the school by his Head of House before turning his focus to me. “They both deserved it, him and Longbottom.”

“Longbottom didn’t _deserve_ a broken wrist,” I countered, folding my arms across my chest. “He’s wholly incompetent so are we surprised it happened? Of course not. But it does _not_ mean that he deserved to suffer. That stunt with the Remembrall was childish and you could have been injured or lost us House points. You’re a Slytherin and a Malfoy, so act like it.”

Malfoy looked taken aback and Crabbe and Goyle gaped blankly at me while Blaise struggled to hide his proud smile. Parkinson was the first to speak, face screwed up as she shouldered her way forwards to get in my face.

“Who do you think you are, speaking to Draco like that?”

“I didn’t speak to him like anything, Parkinson.” I stared at her coolly and stayed quiet until she took half a step back with an unimpressed frown on her face. “Rushing off into danger blindly is a staple of a Gryffindor, or am I wrong? I’m simply saying that if Malfoy _really_ feels compelled to antagonise Potter then the least he could do is be a bit smarter about it.”

“No Parkinson, she’s right.” Malfoy nodded at me, eyes narrowed slightly but his face was as smooth and composed as usual. “I’ll be surprised if he isn’t expelled for that but in future I’ll think before I act. The last thing I need is Potter getting one up on me.”

I fought back the eyeroll as he bypassed my entire argument to _not_ bait Potter in the first place, but I didn’t push it again. Malfoy didn’t accept suggestion any more than he accepted orders and I was still slightly taken aback that he had taken my outburst so well. I wasn’t about to concede my small victory just to die alone and ridiculed on my moral hill, so I simply nodded pointedly over Malfoy’s shoulder to draw the Slytherins’ attention to the approaching form of Madam Hooch.

She gave us all a stern talking to about following instructions and being cautious around magical objects and ‘let that be a lesson to you’ and I blanked her out completely until she finally got back round to our now highly anticlimactic flying drills. We were carefully monitored as we rose a few feet and landed, gently steered left and right, flew in a tight circle and practised braking stops. I felt a pleasant tingle under my skin as I cleanly manipulated the broom and felt even more confident when Malfoy sent me a small nod of approval after a particularly sharp brake stop.

With ten minutes to go, Madam Hooch got our attention and asked if there was anyone who felt confident enough to give a class demonstration: flying to the oak tree, circling it completely and flying back to our group. Malfoy’s hand shot up and after sharing apprehensive looks Weasley and Finnegan (who had also been showboating all week about their own risky flying experiences) did the same. To my surprise I felt a steely resolve and barely hesitated before sticking my hand up confidently. It wasn’t my first time flying but I had never used more than a child’s broom before now and I was eager to test myself.

“Yes, young lady, why don’t you give it a try? You seem to have a handle on the basics,” Madam Hooch pointed me out with an encouraging smile. Finnegan and Weasley looked relieved as they dropped their hands and Malfoy looked only slightly put out as his also lowered. I nodded and took a deep breath, swinging a leg over my broom while the Slytherins backed up a few paces to give me room.

“You’ve got this Bell.” Blaise’s voice was relaxed and he offered me a solid grin when I glanced over at him. I returned his smile, feeling suddenly loose and light as I kicked off hard and tipped the broom handle up to rise smoothly. Waiting until I was just clear of the crowd below me, I leaned forwards and lowered myself along the handle as I sped forwards towards the oak tree a fair distance away. I focused on the speed of my approach and steered to the right side of the trunk, carefully pulling up and left on the head of the broom as I drew level with the large tree.

My manoeuvre worked just as I had wanted it to and I only dropped enough speed to execute a tight turn, corkscrewing round and up the tree trunk before levelling out once the castle came into view for the second time in my dizzying spiral. I poured on the speed as I jetted back to the cluster of students, hair windswept and a brilliant smile fixed on my face as cheering reached my ears to blend with my pounding pulse. Blaise was clapping the loudest as I soared to the ground and dismounted, rushing forwards to give me a tight hug while the rest of the Slytherins whooped and hollered in the faces of the grudgingly impressed Gryffindors.

“Well done, excellent control – did you all see how tight and smooth her turn was? – very well done young lady. Right, brooms down everyone and back up to school with you all. I will see you back here same time next week!”

“You’re fast Zabini.” Malfoy said, drawing level with Blaise and I as the rest of the Slytherins clustered around us and we started the walk back up to the castle. “You should think about joining the team next year, you could do real damage with a decent broomstick. I might apply for Seeker if the spot’s open.”

“I’ll think about it,” I agreed somewhat breathlessly, sweeping stray curls out of my face and behind my ears. “It’s definitely a rush but who knows how well I can actually play?”

“Doesn’t hurt to try.” piped up Greengrass from somewhere behind me and I shot her a bright smile over my shoulder. “I’m sure you’d be good enough for a reserve at the very least.”

“Thanks Greengrass!” I was slightly surprised by her earnest encouragement; we had shared some polite small talk since the start of term banquet but nothing I would class as actual friendly conversation. Then again, maybe we could change that in the coming weeks.

We all trooped up to the castle and made our way into the Hall before it became too packed, finding an empty area of the table and sitting down as a whole year group. I was sandwiched between Blaise and Nott who were joined by Davis and Greengrass respectively while the other five sat across from us. People poured themselves drinks and served up food as we continued our conversation about flying and Quidditch, only disturbed when Malfoy rose mid-sentence and gestured for Crabbe and Goyle to do the same as he stepped over the mahogany bench and hustled off along the aisle.

“What’s all that about?” Nott wondered, leaning back and craning his head to keep the trio in sight as they reached the bottom of the Hall and crossed in front of the open double doors to walk up the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.

“Potter I reckon,” Blaise said around a bite of black cod. “Probably off to see what his punishment was.”

“Spot on gemello.” I popped a forkful of chicken piccata into my mouth before spinning back around to watch Malfoy’s interaction with Potter and Weasley. “Reckon that pie will fall off Weasley’s fork before Malfoy leaves?”

“Two Galleons on yes.” Nott suggested with a slight smile and I smirked back in silent agreement before we refocused. Malfoy seemed to be sizing up Crabbe and Goyle before turning back to the two Gryffindors and making his departure only seconds later. I smiled to myself as Nott slapped two coins into my open hand and I turned back round to continue eating as I slipped them into my pocket.

“What happened Draco?” Parkinson asked the blond when he sat back down, glaring slightly when Crabbe wedged himself back between them and began tearing into his lamb chops.

“Just had a little chat with Potter is all,” Malfoy smirked, looking all too satisfied as he cut a piece off his filet mignon. “He’s under the impression we’re going to meet for a duel in the Trophy Room at midnight.”

“Let me guess, Weasley’s his second?” I laughed at Malfoy’s nod of confirmation. “The poor things. I wonder how long they’ll be waiting.”

“Waiting?” Parkinson parroted and Greengrass was quick to fill her in.

“He won’t actually go to meet them Pansy; he wants them to get caught out of bed.”

“Exactly Greengrass.” Malfoy looked just as smug as if Greengrass had just bestowed a medal of honour upon him for his dastardly genius. “If this doesn’t get Potter expelled after the day that he’s had, then nothing will.”

And indeed, it seemed like nothing would.

The next morning at breakfast, Malfoy’s mouth fell open halfway through chewing his scrambled eggs as he gaped at something over my shoulder. I turned just enough to catch sight of Weasley and Potter swanning into the Hall and over to the Gryffindor table with large smiles on their tired looking faces. Facing forward again with a small sigh, I was pulled up short at the sight of Malfoy’s half chewed eggs still proudly displayed to the world and I reached over with a slight sneer to push his mouth closed.

“Foul, Malfoy.” I sniffed, highly unimpressed as I continued eating my porridge. Salazar took that moment to land on the bench next to me, windswept feathers seeming extra fluffy as he peered up at me hopefully. “There you are Sal! Do you have a letter for me?” I reached across and stole a chunk of egg from Malfoy’s plate, feeding it to Salazar and scratching gently in the crook of his right wing as he stuck a leg out towards me in response. I reached under his long charcoal plumage and carefully detached the letter from his anklet, giving him one last stroke for good measure before he hopped up onto the table and took off, likely destined for the Owlery and a long sleep.

“What did Mother say?” Blaise asked, leaning into me a little as I broke the ostentatious wax seal and unrolled the parchment. I skated over the pleasantries and thinly veiled demands for more information on my House mates and focused on the bottom of the page where a list of names and dates had been jotted. I pointed them out to Blaise surreptitiously and stowed the parchment in my pocket before prying eyes could catch anything important that I hadn’t noticed.

“Just the regular well wishes and that she misses us,” I said lightly, taking a sip of pumpkin juice and smiling at Malfoy when he glanced curiously between us. “Dippy has been going spare without us.”

“Dippy? Who’s-?”

But Malfoy’s mouth fell open again, eyes fixed on something behind and above me this time. I turned with a small confused frown and also stared when I registered the six screech owls fluttering about the rafters under some strain from a long oddly shaped brown package. A good portion of the Hall seemed to be watching the owls’ path as they suddenly pulled up short, rotating as they locked onto their recipient and fluttered down right to the opposite side of the Hall. Right to the Gryffindor table. Right to Harry Potter.

“That… But that’s a broomstick!” Malfoy cried, jumping up and straining to see across two other tables of students. “Potter’s been sent a broomstick! Crabbe, Goyle!” And he was off in a flash, breakfast and his unopened parcel of treats left abandoned on the table which I quickly slid over and into my lap before Crabbe or Goyle’s greedy eyes could hone in on the food. I watched as they instead glanced at each other, down at their full plates of food, back at each other; they finally jumped up from the table, both of their meaty fists full of pastries and rolls and muffins that they crammed into their pockets before taking off after Malfoy.

“They really do remind you of a couple of especially food obsessed trolls, don’t they?” mused Greengrass, upper lip curled daintily in the prettiest sneer I had ever seen. “If they make it past OWLs then I’ll eat _my_ owl. Unbelievable, the both of them.”

“I think I’ll join you,” I giggled, placing Malfoy’s box of sweets back in front of his abandoned plate. “I’m surprised they haven’t blown themselves up in Potions yet. We have a double now so maybe we won’t need to wait very long.”

“Animal cruelty isn’t funny gemella.” Blaise chastised me playfully, smirking when Greengrass and I glanced at each other and broke out into full on laughter mid mouthful. We laughed and joked amongst ourselves at the two boys’ expense for a little while, only quieting down when Malfoy stormed back over to us and sat down with a look of thunderous fury on his face, Crabbe and Goyle not far behind.

“Potter’s been sent a broomstick and the teachers all know! And they’re fine with it! Wait til my father hears about this, it’s against the rules and it’s _blatant_ favouritism just because he’s the Boy Who Lived-!”

Blaise nodded in blank agreement and cast Greengrass and I an exasperated look but I frowned, actually agreeing with Malfoy’s anti-Potter rant for once. So he broke school rules and not only escaped punishment twice but was rewarded with a broom that first years couldn’t even own? Just because he was _the_ Potter? What use would he even _have_ for-

“Sweet Circe!” I spat, eyes wide as I whipped my head around to look at the place Potter had been sitting. But of course, now the spot was empty and I turned around, cursing yet again. “This is such hippogriff dung!”

“What, what is it Zabini-?” Malfoy glanced behind me before pinning me with his gaze again.

“He’s been put on the Gryffindor Quidditch team,” I hissed slightly more quietly, mirroring the other three and leaning closer so they could hear better. “Why else would they bend the rules so a first year could have a broom! Potter has no need for a broom unless he’s going to be playing Quidditch. And of course, McGonagall was the one who saw him and he’s in her House; obviously she would want him on the team, that catch was incredible. It’s a downright Slytherin tactic.” As incensed as I was, I had to admit that it was a good play.

“Merlin’s pants, you’re right!” howled Malfoy, hands flying up to grip his head in horror as he gaped at us. “This really is all thanks to me – Potter was right! Zabini, I give you permission to hex me into the Hospital Wing if I ever pull another stunt like that again.” Malfoy wilted in his seat, eyes going haunted and glassy as he mulled everything over in clear anguish.

“Which one of us?” Blaise asked with a half amused half incredulous eyebrow raise.

“Either… Both.”

Once we had collectively coaxed Malfoy past his initial reaction of blank shock and disbelief, he had cleanly segued into full blown indignation. He ranted to anyone who would listen about the injustice of it all and how corrupt Hogwarts was and that Dumbledore was making a grave mistake; and as much as we agreed with the sentiment, I was strongly debating the pros and cons of dunking his head into an active cauldron by the time we had settled into our seats in Potions.

The hour and a half dragged by with Blaise and I shooting each other increasingly desperate ‘Avada me’ looks while Nott glanced edgily between us and the still ranting Malfoy, none the wiser to the cause of the blond’s ire. As soon as we were dismissed we made ourselves scarce, darting for the door with Nott being towed along and Greengrass getting sucked into our little bundle as we left Malfoy in the dust with Crabbe and Goyle. We ended up sequestered in the Library until lunchtime where we sat as close to the High Table as was physically possible to avoid seeing the other Slytherins.

Luckily we were spared the torture in Transfiguration as Professor McGonagall kept an iron grip on all her pupils during class. It didn’t stop us feeling the hatred that practically rolled off Malfoy as he glared at the Scottish witch non-stop. In the time between the end of class and the start of dinner he seemed to have cooled some, contenting himself with scowling at his bowl as he dragged his spoon moodily through his pea and bacon soup.

Astronomy that night was practically enjoyable, with no aura of malice or evil eyes or rants or snotty remarks (aside from the occasional heated mumble of ‘Potter…’) and we all felt markedly more relaxed as we made the descent through the school back to the dungeons. When we reached the common room, Malfoy left us all with a terse ‘goodnight’ and slipped off to the boys’ dorm without another word. My brother and I shared a look before Blaise kissed my cheek and darted off after him, Greengrass sticking with me as I shook my head and made my way to our dorm room as well.

It seemed that all of us, but especially Malfoy, would have to get used to Harry Potter and his preferential treatment. I had the sinking feeling that it wouldn’t be the last time he weaselled his way out of things that he really had no right to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	4. Three - Detective Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellen begins to explore her feelings of intuition and flexes her investigative muscles. She and Draco make a pretty good detective duo, tantrums over Harry aside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bellen annoying Harry and Ron is going to become a common hobby, if you couldn't tell already. And yay - Bellen and Draco teaming up and being super sweet!

For a while at least, things remained relatively peaceful. We trundled along with classes and collaborated on homework if someone hadn’t found a Ravenclaw to leech off of that week, flying lessons continued to be a source of great joy for me and, unsurprisingly, Potter carried on living rent free in Malfoy’s head.

If he wasn’t complaining about ‘Potter this’ and ‘Potter that’ then he was insulting the boy to his face. Even I had to admit that his insults tended to start off fairly witty but in the absence of a reaction he dissolved into petty name calling and cheap shots to get a rise out of Potter and his loyal-to-a-fault Gryffindor buddies.

Then, of course, there was the minor incident of the troll on Halloween.

Blaise and Nott had finally sucked Malfoy into a debate on whether or not flobberworm mucus was a base ingredient (“But it’s not an animal _part_ is it, more of a _secretion_ -”) which made a nice change from his previous Potter pontification; as Nott had so eloquently dubbed it. Greengrass had just passed the platter of carrot cake slices further down the table to me when a great shout at the bottom of the Hall drew our attention.

“TROLL! – TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!” Professor Quirrel had sprinted up the centre aisle looking pale and sweaty, eyes fixed desperately on the High Table. “Th-Thought you ought to know.” And he slumped over in a dead faint. There was a beat of silence and then the students erupted in screams and shrieks as there was a panicked stampede for the doors. Blaise’s hand was tight as a vice on mine and I spotted Malfoy shoving Crabbe and Goyle out of the way as he scrambled off our bench.

“SILENCE!” Everyone froze and fell silent, turning to look back at Dumbledore who held his hands out for calm as he regarded the Hall. “Prefects, lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!”

“Is he stupid?” hissed Malfoy, face even paler than usual as Harpis and a seventh year Prefect swooped in to gather the first and second years together. “The troll is down there! We’ll all be killed!”

“Shut it Malfoy!” Harpis ordered, fixing him with an intense glare before she began heading for the double doors and waved us along after her. “Stick together, hold hands if you need to, and Salazar’s spit: _do_ keep quiet.”

We all trailed her and Peakes in complete silence, identical looks of stony blankness on each of our faces as we split off from the crush of students and made our descent into the depths of the school. Blaise and I held hands tight and I reached forward to snag Greengrass’s left hand when I noticed it shaking slightly, sending her what I hoped was a reassuring nod when she glanced back at me in slight shock.

“Get in the common room and stay there,” Peakes ordered when we finally reached the black stretch of wall, nodding at Harpis to begin ushering us through the newly opened entrance. “The elves will send the rest of the food down shortly I imagine. Don’t clog up the common room if you don’t want to eat. I’m going to find out what’s going on. Harpis, you and Codds can play gatekeepers.” They shared a short nod of understanding before Peakes strode off back up the passage and Harpis swept the rest of us into the safety of the common room.

Malfoy gestured towards the fireplace and we all made our way over, quickly squashing up in armchairs and perching on ottomans as we clustered as close together as we could manage. Blaise and Nott ended up sharing an armchair and I was sat in my brother’s lap, arms round each other as we clutched the other protectively for several precious seconds. Everything had been under control but it was still a terrifying realisation: that in a place where we were supposed to be safest if either of us had been caught unawares then death was almost a certainty.

“How did a troll get into Hogwarts?” Malfoy demanded, looking around at all of us as if Dumbledore himself was likely to pop up in the middle of our little knot of eleven year olds to explain.

“Maybe it was always here,” suggested Parkinson edgily, eyes glinting defiantly as Nott shot her an incredulous frown. “Well, they wouldn’t tell us if it was, would they? And there’s no way a _troll_ would have wandered up to the Entrance Hall and blundered its way down into the dungeons without anyone noticing it!”

“Quirrel noticed…” Greengrass’s voice was slightly uneven and I gave her a small supportive smile. “But why was he in the dungeons in the first place? The feast started nearly an hour ago…”

“I’m not as worried about Quirrel as I am the troll,” I cut in, steadying myself as all eyes turned to me. “There are only three types of troll; mountain, forest and river. There are no troll forests in the vicinity of Hogwarts, there aren’t any river trolls documented in Britain since they prefer the large Scandinavian fjords, lots more cover-”

“Your _point_ Zabini?” goaded Malfoy impatiently, although his face still looked too pale, so I dismissed his aggression as a front but cut him a frosty side eye anyway.

“The trolls that live in the mountains are much further North, they prefer bare rocky terrain. _So_ ,” I pressed on, seeing Malfoy open his mouth again. “That means that Parkinson has a point or that someone arranged for a troll to be brought here, either to Hogsmeade or the castle, because there isn’t a settlement of trolls close enough for this to be a natural occurrence.”

Even Malfoy seemed to be thinking this over as our group fell into an uneasy silence, only broken by the arrival of the remnants of dessert from the Halloween feast. We arranged ourselves plates but stayed silent for the remainder of the meal, one by one bidding the rest goodnight before slinking off to bed. Blaise hugged me fiercely before letting me depart with Greengrass, dropping kisses on each cheek before waving me off with a tight smile. Parkinson gave me a slight nod as we entered the dorm room and Greengrass and I sat on my bed and theorised in low voices for the better part of an hour before finally parting and falling into bed to sleep.

And then in the morning the whole school was talking about how Potter and Weasley had saved Granger from the troll and had even earned House points for it. Malfoy had flushed a highly concerning shade of splotchy red and the rest of us shared exasperated looks before Blaise and Nott seized his arms and marched him straight back out of the Hall, much to everyone’s exhausted relief.

Clearly the two had talked some sense into him since Malfoy’s Potter pontifications became few and far between from that point on. He still goaded Potter at any given opportunity but he didn’t feel the need to speak about him with even half of his usual frequency when among the rest of us. All in all, it was a brilliant start to November and that trend was continued the following Friday as Blaise and I celebrated our birthdays.

I woke to a small pile of gifts and cards lying at the foot of my four poster with Greengrass sleepily wishing me a happy birthday as I flew out of bed to open my presents. Parkinson and Bulstrode had collaborated on a box of Chocolate Frogs which I correctly interpreted as the polite formality it was; although I was pleasantly surprised by the gesture nonetheless. Greengrass had given me a beautiful silver U-pin with some dainty filigree decorating the outer bend.

“For you to wear when you master French twists,” she had explained with a slightly shy smile and I gave her a hug of sincere affection and gratitude in response as I thanked her by name. Daphne beamed when I pulled away and waved me back to my other gifts.

I had shockingly received presents from both Nott and Malfoy: the former a slim leather-bound book delving into the Charm work behind broomsticks and how to identify unravelling spells, with the latter being the biggest packet of Fudge Flies I had ever seen along with an ivory velvet hair ribbon. Both gifts touched me in different ways and I had to take a moment to compose myself before I rose to get dressed.

Unsurprisingly there had been no gift from Crabbe and Goyle, Blaise’s present was also absent, and Tracey Davis looked mortified when she woke up and saw the mess of wrapping paper around my bed. I accepted her apology easily and simply smiled with a headshake when she promised to make it up to me, far too focused on scooping my gift to Blaise out from under my bed before I darted off with a final wave and smile over my shoulder at the near frantic Davis.

I sprinted across the common room to the boy’s dormitories, ignoring the questions and laughs behind me as I hurried along the corridor and burst into Blaise’s dorm room.

“Galloping gargoyles!” yelped Malfoy, whirling around and looking gobsmacked when he recognised me. “What are _you_ doing here Zabini?”

“Wishing my gemello a happy birthday!” I cooed, prancing over to Blaise’s bed and flinging myself on him in a tight hug. He mumbled a reply incoherently but hugged me back in his sleepy state, pushing himself upright with a loud yawn.

“Oh yes, happy birthday,” Malfoy sniffed. “Have you opened your gifts yet?”

“Of course. Thank you for the sweets by the way, they’re my favourite.”

“I know.” Came his smug reply and I rolled my eyes, in too much of a good mood to lose my bright smile however.

“Happy birthday Bell,” Blaise’s lips landed on my cheek and I turned back to find him holding out a small package wrapped in charcoal tissue paper. We swapped gifts and he watched closely as I eagerly unwrapped mine. “It isn’t much but I thought it might come in handy-”

“Blaise this is amazing!” I interrupted, removing the supple leather harness from its box and examining it closely. “A wand holster, right?”

“It will resize automatically to fit your arm and it’s woven with anti-catch spells for a smooth draw and tonnes of protection so no one can Summon your wand or cause it to misfire.”

“Thank you so much.” He chuckled as I hugged him again and pulled back to open his own gift while I spotted Nott sitting up in his own bed blearily.

“Happy birthday Zabini. And Zabini,” he added, inclining his head at me in acknowledgement. “I hope you like the book.”

“I’m sure I’ll love it Nott, thank you.” I beamed and turned my attention back to Blaise as he finally managed to get my present open.

“Bellen!” he scolded, but he couldn’t hide his pleased grin as he examined the elegant serpent tie pin that I had asked Dippy to purchase for me. “I thought we agreed not to spend a fortune on each other?”

“Luckily it didn’t cost a fortune,” I countered cheekily, dropping a smacking kiss on the side of his face and slipping off the bed with my leather wand holster in hand. “I’m going to put the rest of my things away and grab Daphne. Meet you in the Hall for breakfast?” Blaise nodded still stunned into silence and I grinned, pecking his cheek one last time before skipping back to the girls’ dorm. I attached the holster to the inside of my right forearm with Daphne’s help, more than pleased when my wand slid down into my palm with a sharp flick of my wrist.

The day flew by in the best way possible, with Daphne simply glowing in the wake of our newly forged friendship, Blaise strutting into the Hall with a pleased grin and his new pin displayed proudly on the impeccable knot of his tie, and Malfoy looking altogether too smug with himself when I pulled my bag of Fudge Flies out of my schoolbag to snack on in our free periods between break and lunch.

Blaise and I were both pleasantly surprised by the large cupcake that appeared on each of our plates during that night’s dessert, Blaise’s his preferred flavour of coffee and walnut while I enjoyed a light cupcake that definitely tasted like strawberry cheesecake but had the consistency of a very airy muffin. It was the perfect end to the day and I went to bed in extremely high spirits, energised and excited for our House’s first Quidditch fixture of the year scheduled for the following morning.

Daphne and I got dressed as soon as we woke up, pulling scarves and gloves on over our cloaks as we chattered back and forth in excitement. I pulled her cornsilk waves out from underneath her scarf and fluffed them around her face before she ordered me to spin around so she could elegantly pin my hair up and out of my face. Something about having the mass of my hair up instead of hanging around my shoulders and body seemed to make a drastic change to my face, emphasising the width of my cheekbones and lips and the upward flick to my eyes. I marvelled at the change before Daphne dragged me out of the dorm by my hand impatiently.

When we entered the Great Hall we found my brother, Malfoy and Nott sat at the nearest end of the Slytherin table while the rest of our year occupied their regular seats down at the opposite end. Daphne and I hovered uncertainly for a moment before Malfoy happened to glance up midway through conversation with the older boy on his left, doing an absent double take before his gaze sharpened and he waved us over.

“Greengrass, Zabini, take a seat,” he urged, scooting up a little and patting the bench next to him. We obeyed with small smiles at the cluster of unknown boys around us. “Girls this the captain of the Slytherin team, Marcus Flint. He’s a Chaser along with Adrian Pucey.” Malfoy helpfully indicated the owner of each name as he spoke. “Flint this is Bellen Zabini, the one I said would be trying out with me next year.”

“Is that right?” mused Flint, eyes locked on me as he gave me a critical once over. My smile was frozen and tight as I turned to Malfoy with a slight eyebrow raise as this was certainly news to me.

“Yes,” he carried on unfazed, either oblivious to or wilfully ignoring my death glare. “She’s fast and you were just saying that Dawson would be leaving this year which means the third Chaser spot will be open.”

“If she’s as fast as Malfoy’s been saying then it can’t hurt for her to try.” Pucey was the one to speak up this time and I looked past Malfoy to find him smirking faintly at me. He had light hazel eyes and short dark hair framing a well-structured face. I smiled and found my eyes dropping to the table almost nervously while Daphne giggled quietly behind me.

“Well, we’ll see next year won’t we?” grinned Flint as he slapped Pucey on the back a few times. “We better get going Adrian, the rest of the team’s already made their way down to the changing rooms. Nice chat Malfoy.”

“Malfoy.” Pucey tipped his head in a silent goodbye and climbed to his feet alongside Flint. “Ladies.” He shot Daphne and I a cheeky wink over his shoulder as both boys strode off towards the double doors and clearly Blaise wasn’t best pleased.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” Daphne chirped, handing me a napkin as she began to load bacon and sausages into soft buttered rolls. “I’m sure Pucey was just being friendly.”

“I’m sure.” drawled Nott, dark eyes narrowed slightly in amusement and bouncing between us both.

“Well, Flint does look like he’s taken a Bludger to the teeth so I suppose _anyone_ would find Pucey attractive next to him.” Malfoy rationalised, eyes also shrewdly fixed on Daphne and I while I nodded in agreement.

“Exactly!”

“So you _do_ think he’s attractive-?”

“Attractive?!” Blaise spluttered, eyes snapping from Malfoy to me with slight shock. “What-!”

“See you in the stands!” cried Daphne, plopping two stuffed rolls into my hands and dragging me up with her as we stepped over the bench and fled the Hall. “Honestly, you’d think someone told your brother that you fancied Snape with the reaction he had! There’s nothing wrong with an honest crush.”

“I don’t even fancy Pucey,” I argued around a bite of my breakfast roll. “I just, I don’t know- He flustered me is all!”

“He is rather handsome though, isn’t he?” Daphne swooned and linked her arm through mine with a gleeful squeal when I nodded, struggling to bite back a shy smile. “Don’t worry Bellen, it’ll be our little secret. Now come on, we need to save everyone good seats!” And so we giggled our way down to the Quidditch pitch, claiming an entire bench for our year in one of the grandstands and enjoying our breakfast as we waited in the chilly November air.

The good start to the month seemed to take a nosedive once we hit eleven o’clock. From the very start of the game the Gryffindors had a distinct monopoly on possession of the Quaffle and that related directly to the number of goals scored. While our Chasers did work amazingly well together, with Flint and Pucey managing some truly incredible shots, the match was rife with foul play which the Gryffindors were all too quick to capitalise on; made all the easier by our somewhat sketchy Keeper by the name of Bletchley.

At some point Potter’s broom had decided to develop a mind of his own and there was an extremely stressful period of about five minutes where he was tossed and bucked and spun through the air, ending up dangling from his highly illegal Nimbus Two Thousand from one hand while hundreds of feet in the air. Daphne and I had clutched at each other in a sickly kind of anticipation only to relax when all of a sudden, the broom stilled and the Gryffindor clambered back astride it without a moment’s hesitation.

And then merely seconds later the youngest-Seeker-in-nearly-a-century (because he clearly needed yet more obnoxious titles), after an equally nerve-wracking dive, had catapulted himself onto the grass below and _coughed up_ the Golden Snitch, then having the nerve to wave it around in the air like the entire school didn’t have their eyes on him.

By the way Marcus Flint began gesturing wildly after raggedly flying down to Madam Hooch in the centre of the pitch, he was making a futile attempt to contest the logistics of the catch and judging by the way he flew off with an ugly scowl on his face I could hazard a guess that he hadn’t been all that successful. The entirety of Slytherin House was in an awful mood as we trudged back up to the castle and we saw the flash of spells more than once as some older students worked out their frustrations on their unwitting victims.

Malfoy’s foul temper dogged our year group for over a month, stretching out for the last half of November and all the way through until mid-December and the formal end of our first term at Hogwarts. I was surprised he had managed to hold himself back as much as he had but it all came pouring out on the train journey back to King’s Cross after we had all packed our trunks to return home for the holidays. It seemed our entire compartment became overly eager to make a start on their holiday homework as Malfoy sat brooding in the corner and ranting aloud to anyone who gave him any measure of eye contact.

Blaise and I were pleasantly surprised when we stepped out onto the platform in London to find our mother and Mr Turgenev locked in conversation with Draco’s parents, both tall and just as blond as their son. We had barely had a chance to greet them and be introduced before Mother shoved her left hand under our noses to show off the gaudy engagement ring in place on her fourth finger. I shared a dour look with my brother before we offered our hollow congratulations, waving our goodbyes to the Malfoys only seconds later as Mother ushered us away to Disapparate under the guise of catching up with her ‘darling joyaux’.

Of course, as soon as we arrived back at the estate all she really wanted to know was how friendly we were with _the Malfoy boy_ , what the other Slytherins were like, whether any of them seemed particularly powerful or smart or popular. It was a theme for the rest of the holidays: interrogations about the perceived use of our House mates and excited gushing over the spring wedding she and Mr Turgenev (“call him Yuriy, mon bijou”) were planning. So Blaise and I made it our mission to avoid her as much as possible, shutting ourselves away in our rooms and practising as many spells as we could.

The only real highlight of the break was our Christmas shopping trip to Diagon Alley, once again chaperoned by Dippy. Armed with the list of names and birthdays that Mother had sent me back in September, Blaise and I picked out our Christmas and future birthday presents for our House mates at the same time. Salazar and Morgana worked hard for a solid week to deliver all the gifts to their respective destinations and were spoiled rotten once they returned.

Even Christmas Day was ruined by Mother and Yuriy Turgenev. On what should have been a day of opening presents and an afternoon picnic out in the snowy grounds, Blaise and I were instead left to amuse ourselves while Dippy was tasked with preparing the food singlehandedly and Mother and Mr Turgenev only arrived home long after nine in the evening after spending the day shopping and sightseeing in Moscow. We both retired to bed without a word and spent the rest of the holiday treating both adults to glacial silences and stony glares.

At least our presents from our fellow Slytherins had managed to bolster our spirits enough for those final few days. I received yet more sweets from Parkinson and Bulstrode along with an enormous gift basket of pastries and cakes from Davis, all kept fresh by a Stasis Charm which I promised myself I would master in the near future. Daphne had bought all the girls in our dorm a set of novelty inks and my box happened to contain one pot of brilliant gold ink, one that changed colour based on the mood I was in while writing, and one that became invisible with a tap of a wand and only reappeared when prompted by that same wand.

Nott had sent another book, this one discussing the power of twins in magic: from wands to creatures to people. Malfoy had apparently robbed a sweet shop’s stockroom or just had more money than I had previously anticipated, because he sent me an entire crate filled with packs of Fudge Flies which I had promptly had to dump out and bury in the depths of my trunk lest Mother or Dippy discover the truly alarming amount of sugar in my possession.

I had managed to ration myself sensibly against all odds, and still had nearly all forty packets stuffed in my trunk when Malfoy waltzed into our compartment on the Hogwarts Express in January, looking pleased when he saw me sharing the fudge with Nott and Daphne.

The first month back at Hogwarts bled quickly into the second, all of us falling into an easy rhythm of classes and homework and frees spent in the Library or the courtyard or the Great Hall, depending on weather and foot traffic. When the end of February loomed ever closer and Slytherin’s second fixture snuck up on us, Daphne, Malfoy and I were the ones who dragged the rest of our House mates down to the Quidditch pitch to watch the match.

Daphne had formed somewhat of a one man fan club for Adrian Pucey and spent the entire game with her eyes glued to him as he zipped back and forth through the air, screaming in fright when one of the Ravenclaw Beaters slammed a Bludger in his direction and nearly unseated him halfway through a sharp roll. Pucey dodged by the skin of his teeth and went on to score against their Keeper just moments before Higgs caught the Snitch and claimed victory for our House, two hundred and ten points to Ravenclaw’s hundred and forty.

And then in early April, after admittedly too many weeks of peace, excitement once more arrived in the form of one Harry Potter. Well, Harry Potter along with Granger, Weasley and, slightly more surprisingly, Hagrid.

It was one of the first sunny days of the year and I had taken advantage of my House mates’ urge to be outside soaking up the warmth, retreating to the Library to make a manual of spells that seemed particularly useful or interesting. It was a way to relax more than anything; it wasn’t taxing to skim through a book chosen at random and then copy out the instructions for any spell that caught my attention. My focus was shattered by a commotion nearby and I glared down at the sharp line of ink that now marred my perfect calligraphy in the wake of my hand jolting in fright.

I glanced up and saw Hagrid sidling out of an aisle of shelves, arms tucked behind his back as if holding something out of view. My head titled curiously and I tracked his path until he disappeared behind another set of shelves not very far away. Thoroughly distracted and now more than slightly intrigued I hopped up from my seat, leaving my belongings spread out on the table as I made my way over to the shelves and peered at the plaque fixed to the wooden side panel. _Beasts (A-F)_.

Interest even more piqued, I made my way down the aisle and found a stack of books abandoned on the wooden shelf-desk that ran at waist height along each bookcase for this exact purpose. _Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland_ , _From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper’s Guide_ , _Men Who Love Dragons Too Much_ ; I had to shake my head in amusement as I made a new pile next to me for each book I inspected.

If I hadn’t known that the purchase and ownership of dragons was illegal and that there would be nowhere within Hogwarts’ grounds to safely rear a dragon anyway, I would have been tempted to bet that Hagrid was planning to do just that. A sharp noise startled me from my thoughts and I nipped further along the aisle, ear pressed up against the books as I tried to listen for the approach of Madam Pince.

“-but don’t go rabbitin’ about it in here, students aren’ s’pposed ter know. They’ll think I’ve told yeh-”

“See you later then.”

How curious. Hagrid certainly sounded guilty of _something_ and without anything else to go on, I would now be willing to risk cold hard Galleons on the dragon theory. More importantly; Harry Potter was definitely involved in the plot.

“What was he hiding behind his back?” Goody-goody Granger’s voice.

“Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?” The Stone? Clearly they weren’t just referencing some run of the mill pebble.

“I’m going to see what section he was in,” Weasley announced and I heard the faint scrape of chair legs on the floor from not very far away. I sped back down the aisle and heaved some of the books into my arms, hurriedly scanning the spines for the author’s last names as I placed them back into their correct spaces. “Zabini?”

“Hm?” My heart was thumping slightly too hard but I kept my cool as I turned my head and found Weasley standing at the head of the aisle a short distance away, eyes darting between mine and the books in my arms. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Yeah… What are you doing?” he asked, eyes narrowed slightly as he made his way closer.

“Just some browsing. I always find extra-curricular reading the most enjoyable, don’t you?” I kept my voice light and detached as I replaced yet another book. Only three more-

“Er, yeah. Mind if I take those two then? Since you’re done with them.” _Merlin’s balls_ , I hissed to myself as I looked down at the last two books that Weasley was pointing at. If only I had pretended to be taking the books down I could have found an excuse to say no, but now I was stuck between a rock and a hard place and couldn’t find a way to disagree without seeming sketchy.

“Of course!” I chirped instead, smile tight as I shoved the last book back into place on the shelf. But by the way Weasley eyed me he seemed to have an inkling that I knew more than I was letting on. So, I decided to vastly overextend my reach and rattle him by bluffing. “ _Stone_ -cold killers, dragons,” I hummed, smirking a little as I watched his face pale ever so slightly. “They make for an interesting read. Do enjoy Weasley; I’ll see you around.”

I spun on my heel and strode off down the aisle, turning the corner and rushing back to my table with my breathing coming slightly faster than usual. Sinking into my chair and grabbing my quill once more, I used my wand to vanish the ruined word and kept half an eye out for the Gryffindor trio as I carried on copying out instructions. They finally emerged from the shelves some way in front of me and I made sure to look up with a bright smile, waving at them tauntingly before returning to my note taking as if totally unruffled.

The looks I got from Potter and his friends over the next few days were priceless, leaving the rest of the Slytherins mystified by all the attention I suddenly seemed to be receiving and my subsequent mirth over said attention. I waved them off each time they asked and soon they stopped paying it any mind, leaving me to puzzle over the conundrum of this ‘Stone’ and Hagrid’s scaly situation.

I had no way to prove that the half giant was even _planning_ to own a dragon and even if I did, what was I supposed to do about it? Yes, it was highly illegal but I was more worried about the harm even a juvenile dragon could do to anyone who got too close. And what was this Stone that Potter had been asking about? Nothing I knew about dragons seemed to have anything to do with any particular minerals or magical objects. Unfortunately, with no further leads I had to let the mystery lie and it had almost deserted my mind completely by the time Wednesday morning rolled around.

We Slytherins had been on the way up the Grand Staircase to Charms when I realised that I had left my quill on the House table after penning a hasty reply to Mother’s announcement that Mr Turgenev was now officially our step-father. I had told the rest to go on without me as I turned and hurried back down the stairs, only to be overtaken by Malfoy who had managed to leave his parcel of sweets behind as well. I highly doubted they would still be there but he had insisted I carry on to Charms while he went back for our misplaced items and I grudgingly agreed. Of course, I had simply carried on to the bottom of the staircase once he was out of sight and waited by the double doors to the Great Hall for him to emerge.

“Are you simple Zabini?” demanded Malfoy when he made his way out, rolling his eyes and handing over the Thunderbird feather as I fell into step beside him. “Now we’ll both be late.”

“Yes, and now you have a hapless witness who is just _so_ grateful that her House mate offered to help her,” I gushed with an amused grin. “Flitwick loves me, remember?”

“Of course-”

“-many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?”

Malfoy and I froze at the base of the Grand Staircase, before simultaneously taking a few steps to the side and shuffling together as if talking to each other. I had my eyes glued to his face but couldn’t help glancing over his shoulder to see Potter, Granger and Weasley talking heatedly as they headed out of the Hall for the double doors leading out onto the grounds.

“-and that’s nothing compared to what Hagrid’s going to be in when someone finds out what he’s doing!”

“Shut up!” Potter’s eyes had landed on us by mere coincidence, sharpening when his green met my own wide brown. I grabbed Malfoy’s hand and pulled him up the stairs without a moment’s hesitation, moving quickly and forcing myself to not glance back and make us appear any guiltier than we already did.

“Did you hear that too Zabini? Weasley really said-?”

“Dragon, yes I know,” I jabbered, pulling Malfoy off the stairs early and darting along a side corridor that lead to a hidden staircase that fed straight out onto the third floor Charms corridor on Wednesdays luckily enough. “I overheard their conversation with Hagrid in the Library the other week, but I didn’t take it seriously of course.”

“We have to go down there, find out if it’s true.” Malfoy’s voice was slightly higher and strained with feverish excitement. “There’s no way Potter won’t get kicked out for this!”

“Forget Potter for a second! If Hagrid’s actually got a _newborn dragon_ then we need to tell Dumbledore.” I argued heatedly, more than slightly breathless from the speed we were climbing the steep stone steps. “It could seriously hurt him or someone else for that matter. The Gryffindors have Herbology with the Hufflepuffs now and Flitwick always lets us out a little early for break; so, we hurry down to the grounds and see if they head for Hagrid’s hut. If we follow them and see the dragon then we go straight to Snape, agreed?”

“Whatever you say Zabini.” We burst out into the Charms corridor a second later and hurried towards our classroom, only realising when I went to open the door that I was still holding Malfoy’s hand. I dropped it like it had burned me and we both gave each other matching sneers (although the effect was slightly ruined by our pink faces and tired puffing) before we entered the room and gave our incredibly sincere apologies for being late.

The double dragged by at the rate of a flobberworm’s sprint and Malfoy and I were the first out of our seats when Professor Flitwick dismissed us after we had all correctly performed the Knockback Jinx on a training dummy. We threw hasty explanations over our shoulders as we ran out of the class and I grabbed the sleeve of Malfoy’s robe as I yanked him back down the hidden staircase, racing down the winding stone steps to the marble of the Grand Staircase.

We dashed across the Entrance Hall and emerged into the weak April sunlight, bags slapping against our thighs as we tore down the steps to the grounds just in time to see three black spots clustering around Hagrid’s hut before disappearing inside.

“Come _on_ Zabini!” growled Malfoy, this time seizing my sleeve and tugging me along as we sprinted across the grass, both of us gasping and heaving as we drew up to the wall of the wooden hut. We both bent double, trying to suck down air as quietly as possible before Malfoy yanked me upright again and shuffled so we could peer inside through the smoke grimed window.

“Can you see it?” I hissed under my breath, making a conscious effort to breathe quietly as I moved my head and squinted to combat the sun glaring off the glass at just the wrong angle.

“The curtains are drawn… Wait- There, I see it!”

Malfoy let me muscle him out of the way, one pale finger helpfully pressed to the glass as he indicated the small sliver of unobstructed glass. After a bit of readjusting I finally saw it, a small spiny black dragon stumbling about in the fragments of its egg on a large wooden table. Just as I had opened my mouth to speak, Hagrid’s eyes met mine and, realising we had been sprung, I grabbed a handful of Malfoy’s robes and dragged him after me as I turned tail and ran for the school.

“Potter’s in for it now!” he cackled breathlessly as we ran and I had to force back the eyeroll or risk face planting into the grass as we struggled our way uphill back to the castle. We spent the rest of break and the majority of Herbology arguing in quiet voices over what to do with the information now that we had it: I was all for heading straight for Snape or even Dumbledore and turning Hagrid in but Malfoy was insistent on wrapping Potter and his friends up in the punishment somehow.

We tersely agreed to disagree and came to an uneasy compromise after nearly an hour of solid discussion. I agreed to hold off on going to Snape for one fortnight only while Malfoy stayed on the lookout for any way to prove that Potter and posse could be implicated along with Hagrid; but if he hadn’t found anything concrete by the second Wednesday then I had no problem turning informant with or without his help.

It was a mark of Malfoy’s influence in Slytherin even as a snotty eleven year old that I didn’t go behind his back and just tell Professor Snape anyway: I knew he could ruin my life if sufficiently motivated and I was more than certain that Potter’s possible expulsion counted as more than enough motivation for the blond. So I retreated into exam revision, half an eye on Malfoy as I waited for any sign that Potter had finally bottled it once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	5. Four - Amendments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellen and Draco have their first falling out, but subsequently make up and become much closer because of it; and cynicism really begins to set in for the young Slytherin when the antics of Dumbledore and the twins' mother come to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first of MANY falling's out I should say. Or is that a spoiler? Whoops~ In other news, Dumbledore sucks!

Unsurprisingly, it was Weasley that ruined things for the Gryffindors.

It was the Thursday evening before our agreed deadline and I had set up camp on a table by the fire in the common room so I could revise after coming back early from dinner. I had my gaze on my notes while I sent an absent Incendio into the heart of the fire when Malfoy burst in through the half-opened doorway.

“Zabini!” Half the eyes in the room turned to me while mine and the other half jumped up to Malfoy, breathing heavily as he crossed the room and plopped into the chair opposite me. “Weasley- dragon bite- Hospital Wing-”

“Full sentences Malfoy,” I deadpanned, simply rolling my eyes and retuning to my notes when he glowered at me. I jumped when he slapped a piece of parchment over my Charms notes, withdrawing his hand once he was sure he had my attention so I could read the letter.

“They’re moving the dragon - midnight this Saturday. Got this from Weasley in the Hospital Wing.”

“So _that’s_ why he was missing all day…” I scanned over the letter quickly and glanced up at Malfoy with an impressed smile. “Good job, we can take this to Snape now.”

“I can do it, tomorrow. I was the one who got the letter and then if Snape doesn’t believe me, I can say you saw the dragon with me and you’ll back me up.” said Malfoy with no doubt whatsoever and I shook my head a little with an amused exasperation. Even with little hairs sticking up from his gelled slick and spots of pink staining his cheeks from exertion, Malfoy looked as smug and proud as ever. “Besides, I know you’re using every spare moment to revise. It must be hard for you; we can’t all be geniuses Zabini.”

“Yeah yeah Malfoy, the day I call you a genius is the day Dumbledore drops dead.” I snickered instead of getting offended, recognising the teasing smirk on Malfoy’s face for the friendly amusement it was. “But are you sure you don’t want me to come with you when you tell Snape? Being a teacher’s pet has benefits you know, I think he likes me almost as much as he likes you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he shook his head and stood smoothly, plucking Weasley’s letter off the table and tucking it into his robe pocket. “I’ve got it under control Zabini. Good luck with your studying.”

“If you insist. Night Malfoy, and thanks.” I shrugged and waved once as he made for the boys’ dorm, turning my focus back to my notes and twirling my wand in my right hand as I debated what spell to practise next.

And indeed, Professor Snape did come looking for me to corroborate Malfoy’s story; except it didn’t happen exactly quite how or when I had imagined it to. Meaning, I hadn’t expected to be woken up at one that Saturday morning by my Head of House leaning over my bed like some Grim personified.

“Miss Zabini. I apologise for waking you at this hour but I would like you to come with me.”

“What is it Professor?” I mumbled sleepily, slipping out of bed and blindly groping for my dressing gown and slippers. I put them on after only a moment of struggle and followed Snape out of the dormitory and eventually into the faint light of the common room. “Professor Snape, sir?”

“Professor McGonagall has found Draco Malfoy wandering about the castle,” he began in his usual inflectionless baritone, ushering me out into the corridor and leading me down the dark passage. He looked like a sweeping black shadow and I wrapped my dressing gown tighter around myself as I hurried to keep up. “He is under the impression that you would seem to know something about a _dragon_.” The sneer in his voice immediately had my mouth snapping shut and I trailed him in silence to his office where he waved me promptly inside.

“Zabini, finally, you can tell-”

“Silence.” Snape shut Malfoy up instantly and I glared at the boy slightly as I joined him in front of Snape’s desk. “Miss Zabini, would you be so kind as to explain what you know of this… story?” His tone made it sound like this was the last thing he wanted to be doing at one in the morning, and I quite agreed, so I kept my summary brief.

“I overheard Hagrid and some students in the Library talking about some Stone and something that students shouldn’t know. I found some books about dragons that Hagrid hadn’t replaced and naturally had some suspicions. Malfoy and I overheard Potter, Weasley and Granger talking about a dragon hatching a few weeks later and then we followed them down to Hagrid’s home at break where we did see a dragon, newly hatched just like they said.

“I wanted to come and tell you immediately sir, but Malfoy convinced me that we needed proof so I agreed to wait a little while. Malfoy _did_ find proof, on Thursday in fact, and he told me that I didn’t need to be involved and that he had it handled. Clearly,” I hissed, giving Malfoy a very intense side eye. “He did not.”

“Indeed.” Snape drawled, eyes darting from Malfoy to me, and maybe I was just extremely exhausted and seeing things but he seemed slightly tense. Concerned? Shocked? Furious? Probably all three; in hindsight we had been extremely stupid and I would be kicking myself for weeks that I hadn’t just listened to my instincts and come to Snape immediately. “Miss Zabini, while I must commend you for your composure and your intent, I must urge that in future you approach me with any concerns you might have at once.”

“Of course, sir, I apologise.” I dipped my head in a contrite nod and struggled not to shoot another glare at Malfoy for good measure. _His head would look great in one of the pickling jars over Snape’s shoulder_ , I thought viciously.

“The same goes for you Mr Malfoy,” said Snape in a steely tone and I heard the blond gulp next to me. “You have embarrassed me, yourself, and the entirety of Slytherin House enough for one night. A further ten points will be taken from Slytherin for your foolishness. And I suggest you take a leaf or two out of Miss Zabini’s book… effective _tonight_.”

“Yes sir,” mumbled Malfoy, eyes glued on the stone floor.

“Back to bed, both of you.” Snape dismissed us with a sharp wave of his hand and we scrambled from the room with our heads down. I sniffed and stuck my nose in the air as the door shut behind us, crossing my arms across my chest to keep warm as I flounced off in the direction of the common room.

“Zabini wait!” Malfoy scurried after me and I shot him a nasty look as I kept walking. “I just wanted-”

“I know _exactly_ what you wanted Malfoy,” I hissed, rounding on him and poking a finger into his chest. “You can’t focus on anything else except your stupid complex over Potter and if you’re not careful it’ll end up with _you_ expelled, not him. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you drag me down with you.”

He gaped at me silently and I whirled around again, stalking off into the near darkness and hearing him hurry to catch up in his school shoes.

“I didn’t mean to get caught and I didn’t mean for Snape to come and wake you up. I know you study early with your brother at the weekend.” Malfoy didn’t outright say sorry but I knew from his subdued tone that it was heavily implied.

“Basilisk,” I said to the blank wall, waiting impatiently as it slid open, storming inside when the passage was wide enough with Malfoy following me closely. “Goodnight Malfoy.”

“You’re not going to hex me? Or yell at me again?” he asked in a low voice, eyebrows furrowed slightly as he watched me warily.

“No, but if you lie to me _ever_ again, I will not hesitate. Now I’m going back to bed, as should you. See you in the morning.” I told him in a clipped voice before nodding once and retreating back to the dorm room. I crept in silently and shed my dressing gown and slippers, falling into bed with a tired sigh and passing out almost as soon as my head touched the pillow.

I was very short with Malfoy in the next week or so, answering him in as few words as possible and forbidding myself from smiling at any of his characteristically witty comments. I also withheld from the catcalls and jeering that followed Potter around everywhere he went as soon as everyone became aware that the hundred and fifty points Gryffindor had lost were courtesy of him, Granger and Longbottom; apparently they had been caught on their way back from sneaking the dragon out of school and Longbottom had been unfortunately sucked into the proceedings.

So I threw myself into my revision with gusto, often sneaking into empty classrooms to practise curriculum spells as well as my self-studied spells when the other Slytherins seemed particularly frustrated with my constant requests for a practice partner. Blaise seemed to be the only one willing to put up with me tirelessly but he still had his own studying to do and so I ended up alone more often than not anyway.

My anger with Malfoy took a backseat when I rushed up to breakfast late one morning only to find the boy sitting pale and still at the Slytherin table while everyone cast him worried looks. I realised with a jolt that the night previous he had spent a good portion of time serving detention in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid and the other three Gryffindor miscreants. Judging by the look on his face, it had not been a pleasant experience and it had clearly disturbed his sleep enough to form bags under his eyes.

“Malfoy?” I spoke quietly as I wedged myself onto the bench between Goyle and my brother, both trying to coax the shell-shocked boy to eat something in their own unique ways. “Your hair’s been turned Weasley red.”

“What-?” Malfoy’s voice cracked as he slapped a hand to his hair in panic, still too pale as he gaped horrified at me. At least he was moving now.

“Good to see you’re still alive then,” I chirped, giving everyone a wide smile as I began loading my plate with buttered toast and sardines. “I was worried a Dementor had gotten to you but there can’t be anything _that_ wrong if your number one priority is that shiny helmet you call hair.”

“Shut it Zabini.” Malfoy’s hiss was sharp but when I glanced up, I saw the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth as he inclined his head in the subtlest nod I had ever seen.

My smile widened just a fraction before I launched into a loud spiel about the difficulty I was having with Transfiguring an owl into a pair of opera glasses that didn’t hoot every time you unfolded the handle. It was complete rubbish of course, but it kept everyone distracted with loud groans and eyerolls long enough that Malfoy could gather himself in peace. And several days later when I handed him his birthday present which he tore open eagerly over his plate of bacon and eggs, his smile was genuine when he looked up from the silver dragon head cloak clasps.

“Thank you Zabini.”

“You’re welcome,” I grinned, more than slightly proud of my selection when Malfoy boxed them back up and carefully slipped them into his robe pocket. “I heard a dragon was running round the place somewhere and figured if anyone needed protection it would be you.”

“Very funny.” Malfoy rolled his eyes but I could tell from the calm in the air between us that things were back to normal. All in time for exams to hit us full force, naturally.

The practical exams were more than a breeze; I flew through them without a care in the world, nailing each spell perfectly first time. My pineapple made a particularly spectacular flourish across the desk for its finishing move, my snuff box was especially pretty with a green tartan enamelling and gold filigree borders that managed to make McGonagall smile, and I was relaxed enough to be humming under my breath while we brewed our Forgetfulness potions. Herbology was my only stumble; I managed to nudge my Puffapod too hard and I inhaled a good number of spores before I whipped my head clear in time. It took five minutes before the vertigo abated enough for me to carry on collecting my plant’s seeds.

The theory papers were also surprisingly easy. The Defence paper was a drag and the History of Magic paper was also deceptively simple, although it threatened to put me to sleep just as easily as Binns did so it was nothing if not consistent. All in all, I felt that I had performed admirably and I was proud of my achievement in both school work and extra-curricular learning: it had been difficult to limit myself to a simple Incendio when an Incendio Duo was threatening to trip its way off my tongue.

And just when we thought it was all over and we were all winding down for the summer, grudgingly going through the motions of our very final classes in our last few days of first year, Harry Potter landed himself the Hospital Wing. Rumours flooded the school but no one could be sure exactly how it had happened. There were whispers of an accident, a Dark wizard, a game, a prank gone wrong, a fight he had stumbled into, an attack-

No one could confirm what had happened, just that he had been asleep for days and that Dumbledore himself had found him. Granger and Weasley had floated around looking very tired and worried and I found myself starting as if to walk over to them before catching myself and changing my mind; what would I have said anyway? ‘Sorry for baiting you about some rock all those months ago, I hope your friend gets better’?

So I ignored them completely and all too soon we were all filing into the Hall for the end of year feast and not one Slytherin could keep the grin off their faces. The Great Hall was strung in green and silver and a large banner hung on the wall behind the High Table, broadcasting our victory for the seventh year running to the entire faculty and student body; on the very slight off chance someone had missed the owl.

“Pity Potter isn’t here to see this!” Malfoy gloated, grin wide and white as we settled onto the benches either side of the House table. “I can just imagine the look on his face!”

“Speak of the devil-” Blaise muttered, leaning back and craning his head as he stretched to see the bottom of the Hall clearly. I stood up straight away and spotted Potter making his way down the aisle to where Granger and Weasley were sitting at the Gryffindor table. Of course, everyone who noticed him broke out into not so subtle whispering which gradually cranked into outright talking before Dumbledore took his place at the High Table and silence fell once more.

“Another year gone!” started Dumbledore with a borderline inappropriate amount of levity in his voice. “And I must trouble you with an old man’s wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were – you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts. Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding and the points stand thus: in fourth place Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points. In third Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty two. Ravenclaw have four hundred and twenty six, and Slytherin four hundred and seventy two.”

Our table broke out into cheers and hollers and stamps and Malfoy led our group in a particularly rowdy ritual of slamming our goblets onto the wooden table in unison. Even the ever-composed Daphne joined in after a short second of hesitation while I rolled my eyes and laughed, caught up in the infectious buzz of my House mates.

“Yes yes, well done Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account.” Dumbledore’s words caused the entire Hall to fall suddenly very still and we sent each other looks of panicked confusion as he carried on speaking. “I have a few last-minute points to dish out… Let me see, yes- First to Mr Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor House fifty points.”

The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and the bottom seemed to drop out of my stomach, a writhing pit of trepidation suddenly yawning open and causing my hands to tighten into fists in my lap.

“Second to Miss Hermione Granger, for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor House fifty points.”

“He’s not-”

“He is.” I cut Malfoy’s weak protest off with a dark scowl, glaring between Dumbledore and Potter’s knot of friends. “Whatever happened, he’s using it to do exactly what we think he is.”

“Third to Mr Harry Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House sixty points.” The ensuing cheering hurt my ears and I let my eyes burn holes in the table top as my back stiffened defensively against the onslaught before it gradually died down. “There are all kinds of courage! It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom.”

And there it was; the final blow, the cherry on the cake, the Basilisk venom in the already raw gaping wound. The Hall erupted in screams and shouts and claps from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff and all but one of the teachers, our table of green stewing in vicious silence as we were utterly humiliated by Dumbledore and Potter and _Longbottom_.

“Which means, we need a little change of decoration!” Dumbledore called, an infuriating little smile on his face as he raised both hands and clapped once. The emerald became scarlet and silver became gold and serpent became lion and I _seethed_.

Even when the results of the exams were posted a day later, my joy was hollow at best when finding myself third in the year, with Granger taking first and Malfoy just pipping me to second. (“I still refuse to call you a genius.” I had warned when his smugly smirking face had popped up next to me as I examined the House noticeboard.) Michael Corner and Padma Patil of Ravenclaw had taken fourth and fifth, followed by Nott and Blaise as the only other Slytherins in the top ten at sixth and seventh respectively.

Slytherin kept to itself as we dismantled our dorms and packed for the journey home with only a handful of older students having to make last minute trips to the Hospital Wing for Madam Pomfrey to undo the effects of whichever curses or hexes they hadn’t managed to block in the fight with whichever House they had run afoul of. Our year group made it to the train without incident and claimed two compartments for the journey but we all somehow managed to cram into one for several hours while we discussed summer plans and our theories for next year’s classes.

At King’s Cross, Daphne tackled me in a hug and made me promise to write as soon as I could before dashing off to greet her parents and younger sister, and even Nott asked me to keep in touch before he gave Blaise a parting handshake and he too wandered off down the platform. Malfoy also shook hands with Blaise before engaging in some strange male hug/backslap combination that made me cringe delicately as they separated. The blond hovered awkwardly before offering me his hand and I had to choke down a laugh as I accepted the gesture, keeping my face carefully blank as I nodded a polite goodbye.

A call of our names effectively seized our attention and Blaise and I waved as our mother found a break in the crowd and rushed forwards to hug us close, sobbing into our hair as she babbled something about an Apparition accident and we had to leave for St Mungo’s immediately. We gave Draco our hurried goodbyes before clutching our luggage tight while Mother called for Dippy, and with two loud cracks we were stood in the waiting room of St Mungo’s sans luggage and house elf.

“Quickly, quickly,” Mother hissed, holding our hands tight in each of hers as she rushed forwards to the front desk, wailing and sobbing again as soon as the desk witch looked our way. “Oh, oh my husband, where is he, he has to be alright, please where is my husband-?”

Blaise and I shot each other panicked looks around Mother’s robes and kept looking back at each other while Mother was given precise directions to Mr Turgenev’s room before she strode off and pulled us along in her wake. After a few minutes we found ourselves deposited in uncomfortable chairs in the hallway while Mother went inside the urgent care room to speak to the Healers.

“What in Merlin’s name is going on?” I whispered, hand stretching out automatically for the comfort of Blaise’s and he easily obliged.

“I don’t know… It does seem like Mother’s cursed though,” he murmured, eyes fixed on the locked and warded door to our right. “From what Dippy said, husbands two and three died in freak accidents less than a year into the marriage. Mother gave up on finding another man for years, that’s why we don’t remember the others, we were just too young.”

“But that doesn’t explain what happened to Mr Turgenev… Mother said he was Apparating?”

“Maybe he Splinched himself,” Blaise suggested with a small frown. “It would have to be pretty bad if he’s still in urgent care.”

I hummed noncommittally, not exactly sure how to feel in the face of these events: I held no bond with Mr Turgenev let alone any kind of love so my reaction was similar to that of seeing a dead animal on the grass. Sadness yes, because the concept of death or pain was generally an unwelcome one, but no permeable sense of loss or grief or pain, just a dull acceptance before it is swept aside in favour of going about the rest of your day. My only true concern was for Mother. She had been in love with the man and if anything bad were to happen then I had no idea how she would take the news.

And we both had the unfortunate luck of finding out second hand as what felt like an eternity later Mother drifted out of the urgent care room, face looking blank and lost as tears tracked silently down her cheeks. A kind faced Healer came out to press a Calming Draught into her slack hands before she carefully explained to us that our step-father (it felt strange to acknowledge that connection as fact) had Splinched himself awfully and our Mother had found him on her way to come and collect us from King’s Cross Station. Or rather, Mother had found his head and upper chest laying in the foyer and the emergency Healers had found the rest of him across the North Sea at his home in Moscow.

They had tried their very best to reattach his various pieces and bring him back around but he had simply lost too much blood and been Splinched so seriously for so long that there was absolutely nothing they could do to revive him; even an entire team of Healers waiting on standby would have had less than a five percent success rate. The Healer let us stew in that knowledge silently for a few minutes before gently asking how we planned on getting home, that St Mungo’s could arrange for a funeral until my Mother was well enough to take over for them. Without any sort of response, Mother simply called for Dippy and seconds later we had been Apparated back to the estate.

“Right, go up to your rooms and unpack your trunks _petit joyaux_ ,” Mother trilled, smiling brightly at us as she cleaned her face with a sharp wave of her wand. “I shall have Dippy send up dinner very shortly and then you can tell me all about your year!” She floated off deeper into the house, humming faintly under her breath as she went and I shot Blaise a wide-eyed glance before grabbing his hand and pulling him up to our rooms.

“She’s lost it,” I breathed, tugging Blaise into my room and locking the door with a sharp jab of my wand. “What was that all about?”

“I don’t know…” murmured Blaise, mouth set in a worried frown as he glanced at the closed door. “Maybe it’s just the shock?”

“Yeah… Maybe.”

Blaise and I tiptoed around Mother for the next few weeks, either keeping to ourselves in our rooms or escaping the confines of the estate entirely as we explored the grounds and flew our broom together. We were exempt from attending Mr Turgenev’s funeral which was held in the middle of July in Moscow where he was subsequently buried beside his parents and older brother, as Mother told us when she finally arrived home dressed in elaborately decorated black robes.

Our friends managed to distract us enough for the first month at home with messages being sent back and forth on a near daily basis. Morgana and Salazar clearly revelled in the challenge after having a very relaxed first year in our service and handled a majority of the deliveries while Daphne’s barn owl Clio and Nott’s horned owl Thorn spent several days at a time vacationing in our open air owlery in the gardens.

I was very surprised when I woke one morning to the sound of insistent tapping on glass and in my sleep befuddled state it took me several seconds before I looked over and saw a particularly haughty looking Eurasian perched on the balcony railings. Frowning a little in surprise I hurried out of bed and pulled the French patio doors open and held out my forearm, allowing Ares to flutter over and alight carefully with a dignified hoot.

“What are you doing here?” I murmured to the owl, gently smoothing out his feathers as I carried him over to my desk and let him hop onto the wooden surface before I clumsily detached the small scroll tied to his left leg.

_Zabini,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I wish to offer my condolences about your step-father; Father only recently informed me. Though I am aware you did not know him for long I hope the event hasn’t affected you too badly._

_I was writing to inquire whether or not you planned to try out for the Slytherin team next year? I have been in contact with Flint and he assures me he would be more than happy for us to try out even though we are only just going into our second year. You’re fast Zabini, and with a little polish I think you could be a real asset to the team._

_Do let me know your answer as soon as possible, there are some more things I want to arrange with Flint over the holidays. Send your reply with Ares; you’re only in Berkshire so he won’t have any problem returning to Wiltshire in a few hours._

_Regards,_

_D.M_

“How about a drink my lovely?” I cooed to Ares, pulling Salazar’s water bowl out of his cage and filling it with a hasty Aguamenti. The Eurasian regarded me coolly for a moment before nibbling my knuckle gently and dipping his head to sip the cool water. I snatched my quill from its holder and slid a fresh piece of parchment towards me over the table top, tapping the tip of the feather against my cheek as I thought about what to write.

_Malfoy,_

_Thank you for your well wishes. You are right; I didn’t know the man at all and so hold no real sadness at his passing, although I do worry for Mother. Frankly, I am glad for any excuse to leave the estate these days. I cannot wait to return to Hogwarts in September._

_I had not seriously considered the idea of playing for the House team until this summer. Blaise and I have been taking trips out into the grounds on his Nimbus and now that I am flying nearly every day, I am positive I am becoming addicted to the feeling! But with only one broom between us I am afraid I have no way to practise in any true capacity._

_Unfortunately, I will have to answer with a despondent yes, as while I would jump at the chance to play for Slytherin I hold no real hope that I will be selected. I am sure you will be a magnificent Seeker. Just make sure not to knock Potter off his broom from too high up; we wouldn’t want an expulsion on our hands, now would we?_

_All the best,_

_B.Z_

I reread my letter and nodded when I deemed it acceptable, rolling it up and tying it to Ares’ leg with another soft croon and stroke of his feathers. He crunched down a few of the owl treats I offered him before I carried him back out onto the balcony and sent him off with a sharp whistle. When Ares returned to my window that evening just after dinner, I wasn’t overly surprised and let him in with a smile. I was however surprised by the large spherical package he dropped on my bed before he perched on my shoulder and pecked playfully at my hair while I skimmed over Malfoy’s reply.

_Zabini,_

_Glad to see your humour hasn’t dried up since I last saw you. Mother was in raptures about your gift by the way; I think she wants to meet you in the near future. And of course, no promises about what I will or won’t do to Potter on the pitch or off it._

_You’re welcome to practise with me when we arrive back at Hogwarts since we would have a few days before the try outs officially open. Don’t worry about the broom situation, I have it covered. In the meantime, make sure you get that brother of yours to help you with your aim, there’s no point being fast if you can’t convert that talent into goals._

_If you put half as much effort into Quidditch as you do your studies then we might just win the Cup yet. Don’t make me regret this Zabini. Feel free to send Ares back at your earliest convenience, although if I know him, he will be wheedling his way into spending the night as you read this. He seems to like you._

_Enjoy the rest of your summer._

_Regards,_

_D.M_

Indeed, Ares was still nibbling at my hair and making soft cooing noises and I reached up to glide the backs of my knuckles across his face as I absently reread the letter. He had the broom situation covered; what did that mean? And getting Blaise to help out with my aim-

“He didn’t…” I mumbled, eyes darting to my bed where the large package lay innocuously. Gently nudging Ares off my shoulder, I made my way over and sat down to carefully pull off the brown wrapping paper and twine that held the item secure. After a few seconds of careful tugging a brand new shiny Quaffle slipped out into my hands, the maroon leather soft and textured where it was stamped with the Zabini crest and my name in brilliant gold lines. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Going to kill who?”

“Malfoy.” I spun and chucked the Quaffle to Blaise, grinning when he fumbled it briefly before securing the large ball against his chest. “He’s determined to get me on the team so he’s bought me a Quaffle and told me to bully you into training with me. We also have to babysit Ares for the night.”

“We’ll start tomorrow then,” Blaise promised me, smirking when he saw my confused frown. “You can fly around and I’ll float around some hoops for you to shoot at. If you can score a moving target then you’ll have no trouble making goals on stationary ones.” My face dropped slightly at the mischievous twinkle in my brother’s eyes and for good reason as I soon found out.

For the remainder of the holidays Blaise ran me absolutely ragged, putting me through an intense bootcamp for lack of a better word. He dragged me out of bed every day at seven in the morning to go on a run of the grounds before breakfast to build up my stamina while he coasted along next to me astride the Nimbus. Then he had me flying an obstacle course around the estate to work on my speed and turning and settle my nerves when I grazed too close to too many stone structures for comfort.

He even enlisted Dippy for my Quaffle work, having our loyal house elf bewitch rockery stones to pelt themselves at me like Bludgers ('Dippy is very sorry young miss!') while I streaked through the air and tried my hardest to score. It was exhausting and frustrating and terrifying and it worked like a charm.

By the time late August rolled round I had the beginnings of some wiry muscle in my arms and legs and my stomach seemed a little tighter than I was used to. My heartbeat barely stuttered whenever I had a close call with one of Dippy’s makeshift Bludgers and I had an eighty percent score to shot ratio. I no longer had to take frequent time outs to stagger onto the grass and catch my breath mid-session and my quick dodges and rolls no longer made me dizzy and nauseous like they used to.

Of course, I still couldn’t pull off many fancy trick shots and I had no clue how I would measure up against a team of dedicated players, but I was proud of my own personal improvement even if it wasn’t good enough to make the cut in September. And I wasn’t the only one who had been changing during the summer months.

“When did you get so tall?” I demanded of Blaise one afternoon after a particularly hard session, realising I was only eye level with his nose all of a sudden. How in Merlin’s name had that happened?

“Not sure gemella,” Blaise drawled, smug smirk painting his face as he exaggeratedly looked down the length of his nose at me. “But hey, now everyone will know that you are, indeed, my _little_ sister.”

He had to duck with a yelp as I sent a Flipendo at his head, laughing uproariously as he scrambled up and ran full tilt into the hedges twisting through the garden. I gave chase with a battle cry, forgetting all about the Nimbus laying abandoned in the grass as I tore after my brother with my own laughter echoing off the foliage back at me.

A week later I was still sulking playfully as Blaise was fitted for a new set of robes in Twilfitt and Tatting’s during our shopping trip for our new school things, and he looked just as smug as he had been before. We only had to purchase some replacement ink, parchment, Potions ingredients and our respective wand wood polish before making the final stop to Flourish and Blotts to pick up our Lockhart books.

“I mean honestly, _Gadding with Ghouls_? _Voyages with Vampires_? These sound like baby’s-first-book titles,” I scoffed, eyeing the book list with distaste. “He sounds like a pretentious twit to me. I do hope the new Defence professor isn’t some giggling fool. Quirrel was bad enough with his p-p-per-perfectly i-irritating st-s-stutter.”

“Fangs away Bell.” Blaise snickered as he steered me through the crowded store to the table set aside for Lockhart’s entire collection, displayed specifically for Hogwarts students. I let Blaise scoop up two piles for the both of us while I nabbed several more books that struck my fancy, two about warding and trap spells and one particularly dusty tome about non-verbal and wandless magic theory. “Come on, we’ll get Dippy to pay for these and we can nip into Fortescue’s before we go home.”

And so we did, sitting out in the late summer sunshine while we split an enormous strawberry shortcake sundae covered in lashings of toffee sauce and chopped walnuts: a perfect mix of our favourite flavours all in one dish. Dippy let us linger for a long time before finally Apparating with a crack next to our table, Blaise and I taking her hands with identical sighs before we were whisked back to the estate.

We both helped each other pack, with Blaise forcing me to leave at least ten books behind so I had room for my Quaffle in my trunk along with everything else and I helped him rearrange his entire layout so his Nimbus could lay safely along the thickest bottom length of the trunk. Salazar swooped in through the open balcony doors while Blaise and I were tussling over a jumper we both thought belonged to us, clipping me over the head with a wing as he landed heavily on the parquet flooring next to us.

“Love you too, ruddy pest,” I grumbled, rubbing the back of my head as I detached Daphne’s latest letter and summarised it aloud for Blaise. “Daphne says she’s going to be waiting at the far end of the platform with Nott at ten-to-eleven tomorrow. That way we can all get a compartment together.”

“Malfoy said he would be there at quarter-to so he’ll be on the lookout once he finds an empty carriage.”

I didn’t bother sending Daphne a reply, instead ushering Salazar into his cage to rest while Blaise and I finished packing the last of our belongings including _my_ jumper. When I fell into bed that night, I was free of the aches and pains I had been plagued with all summer thanks to Blaise but I was no less tired. Sleep came to me quickly and I slipped under with a smile on my face, more than glad to be returning to Hogwarts the following day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	6. Five - Try Outs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellen has a run in with potentially her least favourite magical creature, gets a lesson in ego from Draco, and finally gets to try out for the House team. Or does she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lockhart is a worse DADA teacher than a man who was 10% Voldemort but that's news to nobody. Draco throws his weight around a little this chapter and as misguided as it is, it's also very wholesome. Until he uses the M-word anyway...

“Bellen!” Daphne called when she spotted me and before I could blink, I had my mouth full of cornsilk waves and my arms full of babbling Slytherin girl. “I missed you so! Next summer we really must arrange a day trip or a sleepover of some sort, I don’t think I can go another nine weeks without seeing you.”

“Whatever you want Daphne,” I spluttered as composedly as I could, grinning wryly over her shoulder at Nott who had just greeted Blaise and was now eyeing us in amusement. “Just let me go so I can breathe please-?”

“Oh of course, I’m so sorry!” she jumped back with an apologetic smile, smoothing her dress down at the same time. It was only now that I noticed that even Daphne had several inches on me and I noticed the exact moment that our height difference registered for her too, a teasing smile creeping up onto her mouth-

“Good to see you too Zabini,” interjected Nott, stepping forward to shake my hand and faltering only slightly when I pulled him into a polite hug. “Don’t worry, I haven’t grown very much either. But just wait until you see-”

“Zabini!” I turned and couldn’t help the annoyed scrunch to my nose when I looked up and recognised Malfoy. Yes, _looked up_. He had shot up over the summer and my eyes were somewhere on a level with his chin meaning he was taller than even Blaise now. “Good summer?”

“Decent,” Blaise hummed, stepping forwards and engaging in that weird back slapping thing they had parted with last year. “Dippy and I have been busy training Bellen for the ballet, isn’t that right gemella?”

“Hilarious.” I hissed, narrowing my eyes with a sarcastic smile of amusement before I switched my attention to Malfoy. “How much did that Quaffle cost you?”

“It was nothing,” he dismissed with a small headshake, ignoring Daphne and Nott’s inquisitive eyes as he glanced around at our little group. “Now come on, I’ve found a compartment for all of us. I’m sure the others will find us eventually.”

We all took hold of our trunks and stepped on board the Hogwarts Express, luckily not having to fight our way through too many students as we were positioned at the rear end of the train and were a large enough group that people tended to duck into doorways to let us past rather than try and muscle through us. Our trunks and owl cages were all neatly stowed in the racks overhead by the time the train pulled away from the platform, all of us settled into seats with our belongings already spread around in preparation for the journey.

“Just look,” Malfoy was saying, spreading an old copy of the Daily Prophet out over his knees so we could all see the front-page image. “Potter posing for a candid with that idiot Lockhart; imagine _him_ teaching Defence.”

“He’s not!” I hissed, leaning forwards to better read the accompanying text and cursing violently when Malfoy helpfully pointed out the paragraph I was looking for. “I’m going to curse his robes first chance I get.”

“How about we hold off on threatening teachers Zabini?” suggested Nott with a contrastingly amused smirk. “We haven’t even met the man yet.”

“You don’t want to.” Malfoy vowed with a forceful eyeroll and groan. “I’d rather listen to Dumbledore blather on all day.”

“Okay, so I _can_ curse him?” I pushed hopefully with a pout, ducking when Nott snickered and reached over to flick my lower lip. “Alright I’ll behave!”

“Enough with Hogwarts’s talentless celebrities,” Daphne sniffed, plucking the Prophet out of Malfoy’s hands and folding it up to discard it on the empty seat next to her. “Did anyone do anything particularly interesting over the summer? Zabini, you said you and Bellen were training?”

“For Quidditch try outs,” I clarified, shooting Blaise a dark look before he could interrupt. “I decided to go for Chaser.”

“Congratulations.” Nott and Daphne chorused and I grinned at them a little sheepishly.

“I haven’t made the team yet!” I protested vaguely but they simply waved me off.

“If you’ve been training then you will; unless Pucey has a brother lurking somewhere.” Nott reassured me and Daphne perked up as if hoping that was a distinct possibility. Her face went a faint shade of pink when we all began laughing at her, crossing her arms and huffing when she realised her reaction had been sniffed out.

The rest of the journey passed like that, with all of us recounting our summers and sharing out food and drink among the five of us as we went. Nott said he had spent the summer working through the Nott library since his father was occupied with work more often than he was home and Daphne had occupied herself with babysitting her younger sister Astoria for the better part of two months. Malfoy had spent the first two weeks of the summer break at his family’s holiday home in France which explained the extra white quality to his hair and the faintest hint of colour to his skin.

Parkinson poked her head in sometime after two, stopping only long enough to greet us all and ask about our summers before drifting off back to the compartment with the other Slytherins. Crabbe and Goyle also made their way down the train, greeting Malfoy and then retreating with matching glum looks when their sweep of the compartment revealed no food. Daphne and I giggled behind our hands at this, mimicking the gormless looks on their faces and falling into peals of laughter any time we made eye contact for the next hour.

When we finally pulled up into Hogsmeade station under cover of darkness we followed the rest of the school off the platform and up a little side road which opened up into a clearing with a number of horse-drawn carriages; except thin air seemed to be pulling these ones along.

“Why have the shafts if they’re just going to be pulled along with magic?” wondered Blaise as we all piled into one and it set off up the trail towards Hogwarts as soon as the door closed.

“Who knows how Dumbledore’s mind works.” Nott shrugged absently, attention glued steadfastly on the book he held open in his left hand. When the carriage reached the top of the hill, we all slipped out and made our way into the school, hovering at the edges of the Entrance Hall while we waited for the rest of our year to join us.

We ended up seated towards the middle of the Slytherin table with Pucey and Flint having spotted Malfoy and waved him, and by extension the rest of us, over to sit with them. The Sorting Ceremony passed in a monotonous blur, the only real Sorting of note being Ginny Weasley who was predictably put into Gryffindor.

“Another one?” Malfoy sneered, shifting to the left to peer around Blaise at the Gryffindor table. “They really do breed like vermin.”

“You would think they would stop having children after struggling to support the first few,” I murmured under my breath, feeling a slight twinge when Slytherins outside our immediate group chortled and shot me amused or appreciative looks.

The start of term feast passed without any real spectacle although most students noticed the absence of Professor Snape and everyone noticed when he reappeared only to stoop by McGonagall and Dumbledore who then rose and followed him out of the Hall via a back door. They returned quickly enough and Dumbledore gave his usual notices before releasing us all to bed. Another oddity greeted us when we emerged into the Entrance Hall.

Several post owls swept in through the windows of the Entrance Hall to deliver the evening issue of the Prophet to some of the older students which was a sight we were all more than used to after a year at Hogwarts already. What _was_ unexpected was one of these screech owls fluttering down to Malfoy, who dug into his robe pockets and pulled out some Knuts to pay the owl before taking the paper from its beak.

“Father suggested I keep up with current affairs,” he explained airily as we carried on to the stairs leading into the dungeons while he began unfolding that day’s issue of the Evening Prophet. “He says that- Did anyone see Potter at the feast?”

“Potter?” Parkinson parroted, face appearing more squashed than it usually did as she screwed it up in thought. “I don’t think so. Why, what happened Draco?”

“’Flying Ford Anglia Mystifies Muggles’,” Draco quoted from the paper as we walked along the passage leading towards the common room. “’Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower’… Potter has to get kicked out for this one, he’s stomped all over the Statute of Secrecy!”

“He did _what_?” Nott sounded as stunned as I’d ever heard him and we all swept through the open entrance to the common room and piled into the sofas and armchairs by the fire.

“Flew to Hogwarts in an enchanted car!” Malfoy crowed, drawing eyes all around the room and making no effort to keep his voice down as he carried on. “Probably dragged Weasley along with him, I knew there were too few gingers at the Gryffindor table.”

“Someone said a flying car crashed into the Whomping Willow! Was that Potter?”

Some older students drifted over asking for clarification and Malfoy held court eagerly, brandishing the front page in front of anyone who asked until we had amassed a little gathering around the fireplace. I had to hide a yawn behind my hand as the discussion continued, catching Blaise’s eyes and shaking my head slightly when he carried on looking concerned.

“Right, I’m off to bed!” he announced loudly, jumping up and giving me a pointed look. “I’m sure everyone else is tired as well. I imagine we’ll hear all about it at breakfast tomorrow.”

There were murmurs of assent from around the room and I gave Blaise a grateful smile as I also got to my feet. Malfoy looked a little disappointed but also bid everyone goodnight as our group dissolved and started trickling off towards the dormitories. Parkinson and Bulstrode were content to carry on talking about Potter and Weasley’s supposed antics while Daphne, Davis and I chatted cordially about our holidays while we unpacked our trunks. It wasn’t long before we were all collapsing into bed and even less time after that before we were all out cold.

The morning dawned dull and cloudy and I frowned up at the enchanted ceiling around a mouthful of apple during breakfast, personally affronted by the awful start to a Wednesday morning.

“Cheer up Bellen,” chirped Daphne who had no right to look so happy on such a grey day. “I have a good feeling about our timetable for this year.”

“If you say so…” I sighed, chomping morosely on the apple as I waited for Professor Snape to come and hand round our schedules. “Has anyone seen Potter and-?”

“RONALD WEASLEY!”

The entire Hall whipped around to look at the Gryffindor table where Potter and Weasley were sitting, the former looking pale and stunned while the ginger was as red as his hair and trying to sink out of sight while a Howler berated him for the entire castle to hear.

“HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR? I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER’S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT’S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE’LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME! Oh, and Ginny dear, congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud!” The Howler blew an aggressive raspberry at Weasley before shredding itself up and there was a beat of silence before most of the Great Hall burst out into hushed laughter.

“His stupid face-!” Malfoy wheezed, going a blotchy shade of pink as he struggled to suck in air. I allowed myself an amused smirk, unable to deny that the spectacle had certainly brightened my day a fair bit. Snape chose that moment to sweep down the Slytherin table, doling out timetables with sharp flicks of his wand as he went. We plucked our parchments out of the air and bent over them eagerly and I felt my good mood fizzle out slightly as I saw the schedule for that day.

“Double History of Magic, double Defence and then Transfiguration?” I groaned, rubbing my forehead as if to ward off the faint headache I could feel setting in already.

“At least we’re totally free after lunch,” hummed Blaise to my left and I had to concede his point. “Plus, almost all of our afternoons are free periods. Come on, let’s finish up and get going before this one finds a way to escape.”

History of Magic was a chore as always and I got nasty glares from several Ravenclaw as I Charmed a fleet of paper airplanes to do fly-by bombings through Binns’ head whenever he turned to write on the chalkboard. The rest of the Slytherins seemed amused though so I smirked at Michael Corner condescendingly and flicked my wand so one airplane split off from the rest and made a pointy tipped kamikaze run at the boy’s ear.

We all eagerly fled the classroom when the bell rang to signal break, sweeping along several corridors and down staircases until we flooded out into the cool air of the courtyard. It was easier to reach the Defence classrooms by leaving that wing of the castle altogether and skirting around it through the courtyard than trying to battle along packed corridors and the busy ever-changing staircases. None of us expected to run slap bang into Potter and his fan club however.

“I’m taking loads of pictures to send home to him! And it’d be really good if I have one of you, maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? And then could you sign it?”

“Signed photos?” called Malfoy, mouth drawn up into an incredulous smirk as he spoke over the little mousy Gryffindor while he approached the trio. “You’re giving out _signed photos_ Potter?” Crabbe and Goyle stepped up to flank him and Blaise, Nott, Daphne and I moved a few steps forward but still hung back with the others. “Everyone queue up, Harry Potter’s giving out signed photos!” Malfoy yelled to the courtyard at large and there were a few quiet snickers.

“No, I’m not!” Potter seethed, eyes narrowing and hands tightening into fists at his side. “Shut up Malfoy.”

“Y-You’re just jealous!” the little Gryffindor squeaked, trembling as he craned his head back to look up at the three older boys. I had to admit that Goyle actually did look slightly intimidating for once, taller than even Malfoy as he glowered at the lions.

“ _Jealous_?” Malfoy snickered, more than in his element as all eyes turned to him. “Of what? I don’t want a foul scar right across my head thanks. I don’t think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself.”

“Eat slugs Malfoy!” Weasley snarled and Crabbe leered at him, cracking his knuckles.

“Be careful Weasley, you don’t want to start any trouble or your mummy’ll have to come and take you away from school,” crooned Malfoy in a mock baby voice before switching tack to imitate the Howler from breakfast. “’If you put another toe out of line-!’”

“Didn’t you crash that car into the Willow? You know,” I drawled, taking a half step forward and smirking at the Gryffindors as I found my opening. “I can’t help but think that Weasley was trying to pick himself a new wand. I mean, what is _that_?” I nodded down at the Spellotaped mess sticking out of Weasley’s robe pocket and grinned wider when he hastily tried to shove it out of sight. “Or maybe _he_ was the one who wanted a funny scar to match Potter. Do tell us Ronald, how did you defeat him? The Darkest wizard of our time: Tree Who Must Not Be Named!”

The Slytherins dotted around the courtyard roared with laughter and I had to temper my smug smile into a small smirk as I inclined my head in a mocking bow of acknowledgment towards Potter and Weasley, who had gone bright red again and looked a second away from attempting to hex me or Malfoy.

“Maybe you should give Weasley a signed photo Potter,” the blond in question gasped, still grinning as his laughs slowly petered out. “He could buy a new wand and relocate with the leftovers since it’d be worth more than his family’s whole house.”

Weasley snapped; ripping his broken wand out of his pocket to point at Malfoy just as Gilderoy Lockhart swept into the courtyard dressed in obnoxiously intense turquoise robes and a hat that looked like it was seconds away from slipping off his strangely sleek blond wavy hair.

“What’s all this, what’s all this?” he chuckled, “Who’s giving out signed photos?” Potter opened his mouth to speak but he was too late, being swept up under Lockhart’s arm and pinned tightly to his side while an overly large white grin pasted itself onto the blond wizard’s face. “Shouldn’t have asked; we meet again Harry!”

Malfoy smirked at Potter before withdrawing with Crabbe and Goyle in tow, striding back over to join our group before we slipped out of the courtyard and off along the corridor towards our Defence classroom.

“Zabini that was surprisingly vicious,” drawled Nott, amused grin on his face as he nudged my shoulder with his. “’Tree Who Must Not Be Named’, honestly. What did Weasley ever do to you?”

“Not in a good mood, saw an opening and took it.” I shrugged lightly, still running the buzz from having so many people hanging on my every word and appreciating my clever comments. I started to understand why Malfoy did it so often; if that’s what it felt like all the time then it was _good_.

“Whatever mood you’re in, keep it,” Malfoy snickered. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen those two look so annoyed. How did you even see that his wand was broken?”

“You mean you didn’t?”

“One of her weird quirks,” Blaise rolled his eyes fondly and ushered us into the classroom. “She probably has a list of things she’s noticed about all of us just in case she feels the need to insult us.” They all turned eyes on me accusingly and I whacked Blaise hard on the arm.

“Do not!”

We were interrupted by Lockhart swanning into the room with Potter still wedged under his arm and we hurried to grab seats towards the back of the class. Potter shot Malfoy and I identical looks of loathing before slumping into his chair and stacking his books up into a wall between him and Lockhart who chose that exact second to send us one of his ‘winning’ smiles.

“His teeth are tiny,” I grumbled to no one in particular and smiled a little when I heard Nott and Blaise snort under their breaths. The rest of the Gryffindors piled in after that and hurried to take the remaining seats with the girls ending up in the desks right at the front of the room. Lockhart waited until everyone was settled and waltzed to the front of the class, grabbing Longbottom’s copy of _Travels with Trolls_ to display, pointing at himself on the cover and then winking sickeningly at us.

“Me: Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin Third Class, Honourary Member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five times winner of Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award – but I don’t talk about that. I didn’t get rid of the Bandon Banshee by _smiling_ at her!” There was a stagnant pause while he waited for laughter and I slipped my wand into my hand, fingering the engravings as I imagined firing off a hex. “I see you’ve all bought a complete set of my books, well done. I thought we’d start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about, just to check how we’ll you’ve read them, how much you’ve taken in…”

I stared down at the farce of a quiz in silent shock once Lockhart had passed them out, still sitting stock still long after he had announced our time had begun. Was this a joke? How, _how_ _exactly_ was knowing the name of Gilderoy Lockhart’s first _owl_ going to help me in my end of year exam? In my _real_ OWLs? For a dizzying second, I strongly considered just setting fire to the parchment and marching out of the class but I bit my tongue, forcing myself to pick up my quill and scribble vague answers below each question. Lockhart’s books were the only ones I had yet to even open and I would prefer if it stayed that way.

Lockhart collected up the quizzes and flipped through them, mumbling and humming under his breath as he marked each one which took altogether too much time. I had zoned out entirely and only snapped back into awareness as Lockhart finished congratulating Granger on acing the quiz, sneering when she positively swooned in her seat.

“Now, be warned!” he barked, hoisting a large cloth covered cage up from behind his desk and placing it carefully onto the wooden surface. “It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can come to you while I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm.” Several people shifted to peer round heads in order to see better. “I must ask you not to scream… It might provoke them.” He whipped off the covering and I blinked in disbelief. “Yes; freshly caught Cornish pixies!”

Finnegan snorted loudly and Lockhart smiled promptingly at him.

“Well they’re not- they’re not very _dangerous_ , are they?”

“Don’t be so sure! Devilish tricky little blighters they can be. Right then,” Lockhart declared loudly, straightening up with his hand on the latch to the door. _Oh no-_ “Let’s see what you make of them!”

As soon as the door opened it was utter chaos. The little blue pixies streaked out in all directions, cackling and hollering as they bounced around the classroom and sent books and ornaments crashing to the floor. Longbottom was hoisted up and hooked onto the candelabra. A couple pixies sped through the window over Daphne’s head and I flicked my wand instinctively to redirect the falling shards of glass to clatter harmlessly on the floor. Books, bags, ink, picture frames, desks; anything not fixed down was fair game to the pixies and soon it was hard to make out any students from the flying objects.

“Come on now, round them up, round them up, they’re just pixies!” yelled Lockhart, stepping up and brandishing his wand with a flourish. “Peskipiksi Pesternomi!”

I snorted as a pixie zoomed past and absconded with the pale wand, flinging it out of the broken window only a second later and I kept half an eye on Lockhart as he blanched and scuttled under his own desk to shelter from the falling Longbottom while I shoved my books and materials into my bag.

“Let’s get out of here!” Malfoy yelled over the panic and like a message from Merlin himself, the bell rang for the end of class. We Slytherins who were closest to the door made a mad dash for freedom and I had almost reached the threshold when I heard a startled shriek from behind me. I was spinning around before I could think and saw Parkinson being dragged off the ground by her hair, her panicked eyes locking with mine and I made my choice in a split second.

“Glacius Duo!” I spat and a shimmering bolt of blue careened from the tip of my wand and smashed into the group of pixies. They froze solid instantly and Parkinson screamed again as she plummeted a few feet to solid ground, the pixies’ frozen bodies dropping to the floor a second later and shattering into a million crystal pieces. “Oops.” I deadpanned, grabbing the sleeve of Parkinson’s robe and yanking her out of the room before Lockhart could come up with some other stupid idea.

“Bellen!” Blaise was on me all of a sudden, hands gripping my upper arms tight before I was pulled into a vicious hug. “Are you hurt?”

“Of course not,” I shook my head, hugging him back for a moment and then pulling away. “Well, I have a headache because Lockhart has all the magical knowhow of a Squib, but I’m fine.”

“Zabini.” I turned to find Parkinson watching me closely, mouth screwed up into a hard line before she made her decision and stepped up to offer her hand to me. “Thank you.”

“Any day Parkinson.” I shook her hand with a tight smile and a nod of my head. “I wouldn’t have let them toss Granger out the window, let alone you.”

“Come on, we need to get to Transfiguration.” Blaise sidled up, sneakily taking hold of my free hand and I smiled a little shakily at him as Parkinson stepped away before we all made our way to Professor McGonagall’s class with the Hufflepuffs.

Turning beetles into coat buttons was not the best way to unwind after a Cornish pixie attack, but it was a damn sight better than dealing with another batch of the things so most of us glumly spent the lesson poking beetles half-heartedly with our thoughts on other things. I welcomed the distraction and threw my all at the spell, accepting beetle after beetle and Transfiguring them into smart dinner jacket buttons of various sizes and metals and embellishments.

Malfoy pulled me aside after we were released for lunch and spoke quietly, glancing over my shoulder to make sure the rest of our House mates were distracted.

“Eat quickly and then go get your Quaffle from the dorms; change into clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Meet me by the Quidditch pitch.”

I did as I was told, quickly grabbing some sandwiches and a muffin or two from the Slytherin table before making an excuse and taking my leave. Hurrying down the steps into the dungeon, I took small bites of my food and managed to work my way through all the sandwiches by the time I reached the girls dorm. I rifled around in my trunk for clothes and locked the door before stripping out of my uniform and redressed in some thick trousers and a thin black jumper.

My Quaffle was tucked under my arm as I flew back out of the common room, rushing along the passages, up the steps, through the Entrance Hall and out into the weak sunlight filtering through thick crowds. I got several odd looks but was ultimately left alone as I made my way down to the Quidditch pitch, spotting Malfoy’s blond head of hair from a mile off.

“That was quick,” he called, readjusting his grip on a sleek black broomstick and I felt my mouth fall open as I drew level with him. “Ready to fly?”

“When did you get a Nimbus Two Thousand and One?”

“Father bought it for me.” Malfoy’s voice was casual as he offered me the broom and he stared at me as I backed up hastily, shaking my head fast. “What?”

“I cannot use that,” I managed to get out after a second of wordless gaping. “If I damage it I’ll never forgive myself.”

“Zabini we don’t have time for this-! Just use the broom, zip around the pitch a bit and score a few goals, then you can give it back.”

He thrust the Nimbus in my direction again and I stepped forwards cautiously, letting the Quaffle thud to the ground while I carefully cradled the broomstick in both hands. It hummed with barely contained energy and I found myself smiling without thought. I gave Malfoy one last apprehensive glance, steeling myself and shifting to climb astride when he nodded exasperatedly yet again.

“Just do what you normally would.” Malfoy instructed, stooping and handing me the Quaffle that I had discarded. I tucked it under my left arm with a nod, right hand gripping the handle firmly as I took a steadying breath and kicked off firmly.

It felt like flying but _so_ much better.

I rose effortlessly, drawing level with the grandstands in only seconds and when I swung the broom around to point at the far goal hoops the motion was so smooth that I couldn’t stop the grin that stretched my face. With barely a touch I rocketed forwards through the air and laughed aloud as I sped on several blazing warm up laps around the stadium. I let myself slow as I approached the goals and pulled a braking stop with my left side, drifting effortlessly around the right side of the hoops and circling around the back so I could pelt the Quaffle through the leftmost hoop.

I chased the Quaffle to the grass and scooped it into my chest, pulling up sharply and spiralling off at a controlled angle while I enjoyed the ease of movement this new Nimbus granted me. I zig-zagged as if evading oncoming Bludgers as I raced to the other end of the pitch before straightening out and charging for the centre hoop. Imagining Dippy’s stand-in Keeper boulder, I pulled up at a ninety-degree angle at the last second and dropped the Quaffle so I could kick it hard through the hoop and again I chased the ball to the ground and nabbed it out of the air seconds before impact.

“Zabini!”

I turned to find Malfoy along with two dark haired figures clustered by the changing rooms and I felt my stomach drop a little as I swept my hair out of my face, slowly flying closer and then frowning when I recognised the two boys: Flint and Pucey.

“That was some fancy flying Zabini,” said Flint, nodding slowly with an impressed smirk angling his mouth while I landed and dismounted quickly. “Draco wasn’t exaggerating, I’ll give him that.”

“You ever played a proper game of Quidditch?” Pucey asked and I hesitated before shaking my head a little.

“I know how to play, the rules, everything but I’ve never played an actual game, no.”

“I can get the pitch for Saturday.” Flint informed us confidently, eyes predominantly on Malfoy as if he was calling the shots. “I’ll get Hooch to arrange for your robes to be delivered by Friday. And Zabini, bring that Quaffle with you.”

“Wait what?” I shook my head slightly like I was shaking off sleep. “Why?”

“Welcome to the team.” Pucey was smirking at me as well now and my eyes bounced between all three of them in shock.

“You mean-? But what about try outs?”

“No one from your year owled Hooch, all the decent contenders from last year would rather focus on exams or they graduated, and out of anyone else that’s left you’re the best. Draco’s the only one who wants to play Seeker, so Seeker he is.” explained Flint, reaching forward to clap me firmly on the shoulder. “Saturday morning, nine o’clock. Be in your Quidditch robes, bring your Quaffle and broom.” Then without another word he and Pucey turned on their heels and strode away from the stadium.

“My broom?” I echoed blankly, still more than a little in shock as my brain raced to register everything that had just happened. I was in? Just like that? I was now the newest Chaser for the Slytherin Team?

“Father bought the entire team ‘Ones,” Malfoy said, reaching for a broomstick that had been leaning against the side of the changing room building and laying it down on the floor by my right side. “This one is yours.”

“Your-?” My head was spinning and I shoved Malfoy’s broom back into his hands, pressing my hands to both sides of my face and huffing out a slightly weak breath. “Your father bought me a broom?”

“The team.” He was quick to correct me. “If you were rubbish Flint wouldn’t have made you Chaser, so you wouldn’t have had the Chaser’s broom. But you are, so you do. Take it.”

“I- Malfoy-” My voice was still breathy from shock and I shook my head slowly as I tried to figure out what to say.

“Just- Take the broom Zabini. We’ve got to beat Gryffindor somehow and you can clearly fly well with it. It’s team equipment, no big deal.”

“Thank you.” I stressed, letting my hands drop and meeting his eyes, trying to convey how important everything was to me; from my very own broom all the way down to the influence he clearly had all the way back from last year which had landed me here in the first place. “I mean it.”

“Good, well,” Malfoy huffed, nodding once and gesturing at the Nimbus laying innocently on the ground at my side. “Make sure it knows who it’s flying for and then we can head back up to the castle.”

I nodded with a bright grin and cleared my throat, stepping up beside the gleaming black broom and raising my right hand over it just like we had done in our very first flying lesson almost a full year ago.

“Up!” The ‘One leapt into my hand and slapped eagerly against my palm, wood thrumming gently under my grip as I curled my fingers surely around the handle. “I love it.”

“Good. Don’t go waving it about though and don’t store it in the broom sheds. Keep it in your dorm room.” Malfoy was deadly serious again and I nodded firmly, shifting my grip on the Nimbus and deftly propping it over my shoulder as I tucked the Quaffle neatly under my other arm.

“Let’s head back then.”

The walk back to Hogwarts was comfortably quiet and I took the time to fully process everything that taken place in the span of only a few hours. My first real taste of elation, complete and utter disdain for Lockhart and his Cornish pixies, a surprising truce with Parkinson, and finally my enrolment on the House team complete with a top of the line broom to boot. I hadn’t been at Hogwarts for a full day and I already felt emotionally exhausted. Malfoy and I split in the common room and I spent the rest of my afternoon leading up until dinner sprawled out on my four poster just contemplating life for the upcoming year.

The rest of the week sped by in a blur and I kept my Quidditch robes tucked away in their wrappings until Saturday morning, rising early at eight o’clock to finally dress in my new kit and head down for breakfast. The leather of my boots creaked as I walked and the heady cloud of fresh timber and wax and polish that clung to my new broom comforted me just as much as the now familiar pressure of my wand against my right forearm.

I caused a slight commotion as I entered the Hall, several students spinning in their seats to keep me in sight as I strode down the aisle far more confidently than I felt to join the rest of my teammates. _Teammates_. That would take a lot of getting used to. Flint took it upon himself to introduce Malfoy and I to the other boys before pointing out Bletchley, the Keeper, and our two Beaters: Dell and Lee.

Once everyone had finished eating we rose as one, Pucey giving me a bracing slap on the back as we swept through the Entrance Hall and exited onto the grounds. The walk down to the pitch felt longer than ever and when we finally reached the stadium my eyes darted to the three small figures sitting in some of the lowest and closest stands; Weasley, Granger and Potter’s personal paparazzo. The Gryffindor players who had apparently just started their practice suddenly seemed to notice us, flying down to alight on the grass in trickles.

“Flint!” The Gryffindor captain bellowed, Scottish brogue even thicker in his anger. “This is our practice time, we got up specially! You can clear off now.”

“Plenty of room for all of us Wood.” Flint smirked nastily at him, taking a step forwards to emphasise their difference in height and build.

“But I booked the pitch. I booked it!” argued Wood as he flushed all the way up his neck.

“Ah, but I’ve got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape: ‘I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practise today on the Quidditch pitch, owing to the need to train their new Seeker and Chaser’.”

“You’ve got new players-?” Wood fell silent as Flint and Pucey slid apart in unison, revealing Malfoy and I to the Gryffindors in tandem.

“Aren’t you Lucius Malfoy’s son?” demanded one of the Weasley twins, the other one’s eyes flickering uneasily over me before fixing on Malfoy again.

“Funny you should mention Draco’s father,” Flint drawled with an even wider smirk. “Let me show you the generous contribution he’s made to the Slytherin team.” Taking the obvious cue, we held out our brooms and tilted them just so for the golden letting to catch the faint sunlight breaking through the clouds. “Very latest model. Only came out last month. I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps… sweeps the board with them.”

“What’s happening? Why aren’t you playing?” Weasley had stormed down from the stands and over to our little standoff with Granger in tow, pulling up short when he recognised Malfoy and I. “And what are _they_ doing here?”

“I’m the new Slytherin Seeker Weasley, and Zabini made Chaser,” Malfoy boasted smugly. “Everyone’s just been admiring the brooms my father’s bought our team. Good, aren’t they? But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives, I expect a museum would bid for them.” The rest of the team laughed obnoxiously and I allowed myself a small smile.

“At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in!” piped Granger, eyes narrowed on the boy next to me. “They got in on pure talent.”

“No one asked your opinion,” Malfoy said icily as he stiffened slightly. “You filthy little Mudblood.” There was an uproar immediately and even I gave him a covertly incredulous glare only dropped when, between Flint shoving in front of Malfoy and I to keep the twins at bay and the Gryffindor Chasers shrieking indignantly, I heard Weasley yell.

“You’ll pay for that one Malfoy!” There was a deafening bang and under Flint’s outstretched arm I saw Weasley’s wand misfire and send him flying backwards with a flash of sickly green light. The Gryffindors rushed over to him immediately and I could only watch in morbid amusement as Weasley opened his mouth to reply to one of them, only to dribble up a fat horned slug straight into his lap.

The boys around me doubled over in hysterical laughter and I had to bite my lip to hold in a snort as I watched the ginger belch up several more slugs while Granger and Potter pulled him up between them to hustle him out of the stadium. The Gryffindor team sent us one more collective look of hatred before grabbing their belongings and storming off the pitch as well.

“Good work team,” Flint cackled, wiping tears of mirth from his face as he stopped depending on his Nimbus to keep him upright. “Lap of the skies to start, slowest flier can run for the ball crate.” That shut the boys up pretty quickly and I wasted no time, using my composure to hop astride my broom and kick off before any of the others were even standing straight. The wind whistled through my hair and while I did feel a modicum of pity for Weasley, my thoughts were on flying and my heart soared just as high as my Nimbus as my first ever team practice finally got underway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	7. Six - The Attacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chamber of Secrets is officially opened, heralded by Bellen's first official Quidditch match; the twins celebrate another birthday among the unfortunate news of Colin Creevey's attack and Bellen experiences firsthand the consequences that too much attention can bring to a Slytherin...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is BUSY and I regret absolutely none of it. Character development for the win!

October had snuck up on me more effectively than Blaise’s growth spurt and it took nearly a week for me to realise that I had been rewriting September’s dates at the top of each essay and page of notes in place of October’s. Between our jarring all or nothing lesson timetabling, the list of additional spells I was systematically working my way through, Flint’s rigorous training regime, and just being a teenager apparently, I was totally exhausted more often than not.

My love for Quidditch practices had waned somewhat when the weather switched from bright but blustery days to bone-chilling torrential downpours, so I had given myself the urgent task of mastering the Impervius Charm so I could keep my broom and robes relatively water free. As soon as I figured out it could also improve visibility if cast in the general vicinity of the face, it became my job to march down the line-up and Charm every inch of my teammates before each session.

The only glimmer of relief in the massing clouds of fatigue and headaches was the fact that Lockhart had entirely given up on the practical aspect of DADA. That did unfortunately mean an increase in written work for that subject and I was unwillingly forced to open each and every one of Lockhart’s books to complete homework and class work, but at least there was no danger of him bringing a Dementor into class and running away to let a bunch of highly unqualified twelve year olds fight it off.

I had in fact been curled up in one of the armchairs by the fire trying to complete an essay on Lockhart’s experience with ghouls in the hours leading up to the Halloween feast when I had unwittingly fallen asleep headfirst in the book. No one had noticed me there and the others had simply carried on to the feast without me seeing as I was later startled awake when what seemed like half the House piled into the common room all at once, frantically mumbling among themselves in low voices.

“Bell!” Blaise’s relieved voice rose above the background noise and he pushed through a knot of older students to drop to his knees and hug me tight. “Where were you, we were worried sick when we left the Hall and noticed you weren’t with us-”

“Fell asleep gemello,” I muttered groggily, rubbing my eyes and pushing myself upright a little more as the rest of our friends gathered around. “What’s wrong, why does everyone look so worried?”

“The Chamber of Secrets… Apparently someone’s opened it.” Nott’s voice was deathly quiet and just as serious and I sent a confused glance at Blaise.

“The Chamber!” Malfoy’s impatient voice burst out seemingly against his permission. “Slytherin built a chamber under the school and sealed a monster inside. Legend says that only the heir of Slytherin can open the Chamber and control his monster. It got to Filch’s cat and the Mudbloods will be next.”

“Language.” I snapped before I could help myself, the residual headache and lethargy from sleep apparently opening up a bypass in my brain-mouth filter. Malfoy gaped wordlessly while the others looked shiftily between me and the blond so I sighed tiredly, climbing to my feet and gathering my things messily into my arms. “I’m sure it’s just a prank, the teachers will sort everything out. I’m going to bed, I’m exhausted. Come get me if anything else happens.”

There were slightly subdued choruses of ‘night Bellen’ and ‘goodnight Zabini’ while Blaise just kissed my cheek and let me go silently. I took my time packing my things back into my schoolbag, abandoning my half-finished essay entirely as I changed for bed and finally crawled under the sheets to pass out.

We slipped into November without fanfare, each day just as cold and rainy and dismal as the majority of October had been. The only break in this monotonous cycle was the arrival of the first Saturday in the month; the first scheduled match of the year between Slytherin and Gryffindor on November seventh. The rest of team and I had light breakfasts filled with lots of protein before we made our way down to the stadium and changed into our robes in the changing room while Flint gave us all a pre-game speech.

“We’ve got the speed, we’ve got fresh blood, we’ve got the strategy, we have everything we need to win!” he called, voice muffled only slightly through the door of the cubicle I was getting dressed in. “Malfoy, keep moving and do anything you can to keep Potter distracted. Dell, Lee, disable Wood or those twins as soon as you can. Pucey, stick to Zabini like a leech and keep an eye out for my intercepts. Zabini, keep your acrobatics to the ones you and Pucey drilled, understand?”

“Yes sir!” I emerged from the cubicle with a slightly manic grin on my face, a mix of anticipation and nerves coiling in my lower gut. “But if I see a hoop free then I’m taking the shot, you and Pucey be damned.”

“Good girl.” Flint smirked and clapped me on the back. “Everyone line up so Zabini can Charm you!”

I skated along the line in under a minute, the process ingrained into my muscle memory by now and I was more than confident my spells would hold even if we had to spend three hours swimming in the Black Lake to find the Snitch. Malfoy seemed slightly twitchy due to the presence of his father in the stands, but we all slammed our fists together in a hasty team huddle before breaking and streaming out onto the pitch with seemingly limitless confidence. The screams of the crowd washed over me from what sounded like the end of a tunnel and I smoothly mounted my broom as I watched Wood and Flint shake hands with identical snarls on their faces.

“On my whistle!” called Madam Hooch, voice faint over the roar of the students. “Three, two one!”

We shot up into the air and I felt my heart jump in my chest as Pucey shot forward to seize the Quaffle inches from Katie Bell’s fingertips before rocketing away at a left diagonal. I didn’t even have time to think before I was acting, reading Pucey’s movements easily as he charged the goal hoops head on and I poured on the speed in response. Mimicking the manoeuvre I had pulled off in my unofficial try outs, I sped past the rightmost hoop and drifted round the back side of the goals in a sudden left-heavy brake stop. Pucey faked a goal to the right, passed the Quaffle to me just as I curled round the front side of the hoops again and whooped at the top of his lungs as I sent the ball sailing through the empty left goal.

Wood scooped up the Quaffle and chucked it towards Spinnet and suddenly Flint swooped in out of nowhere, the fast onset of rain obscuring his approach as he rammed into Spinnet just hard enough for her to fumble her catch allowing me to nip in and steal. I made a sharp c-turn and made a diagonal run for the goal posts, waiting for Wood to fully commit to marking me before I let the Quaffle slip through my grip to land firmly in Pucey’s as he rocketed underneath me in the opposite direction and scored in the far right hoop.

Pucey and I worked with terrifying precision, circling the Gryffindor goals like vultures as we darted in and stole the Quaffle right out of the Gryffindor Chasers’ hands or simply hovered until Flint made a stealthy intercept and we could rush in and claim the goal. We were ninety to zero when Hooch called for a break and our team swept together in a ragged huddle near the centre of the pitch.

“Zabini, Pucey, you’re slaughtering them; keep it up!” Flint roared over the pounding of the rain and the clamour of the crowd. “Dell and Lee, pile on the pressure. Malfoy get looking for the Snitch, we can’t keep them on nil forever!”

“We only have one Bludger to work with,” grumbled Dell, pushing a clump of sopping hair out of his face. “The other one’s glued to Potter.”

“All the better.” Flint smirked and we all turned as one to look over at the Gryffindor team, soaked and bedraggled not too far away. “Knock out Wood or distract Potter long enough for us to rack up seventy more points. Pucey, Zabini, we’re switching to full offensive.”

Madam Hooch had reached the Gryffindor team by that point and after a short deliberation we all fell back into formation, kicking off and shooting back up into the pelting downpour at the shrill of the whistle. I sped up high above the pitch and shadowed Flint and Pucey as they gained possession of the Quaffle and made a charge for the hoops. Seeing Pucey kick out his leg slightly in signal, I went into a steep nosedive aimed straight at Wood, raindrops seeming to fly back up into the sky as I streaked down and flew inches in front of Wood right at the moment Flint made his shot. Wood had flinched back from my speed and proximity and couldn’t correct in time to prevent the Quaffle sailing feet underneath him through the centre hoop.

We made several more aggressive runs on the goals, each one different from the last as we laid the pressure on thick and either tried to fake Wood out through surprise and intimidation or used the lack of visibility from our speed through the rain to confuse him. I faintly made out the sound of Lee Jordan commenting over the roars of the Slytherin crowd and the insistent drumming of the rain in my ears.

“Potter and Malfoy are racing it out for the Snitch in the dugouts at the edge of the pitch, hard to see what’s going on! Slytherin leads one hundred and forty to nil-.”

“Two more!” I yelled to Pucey over the screams from the stands and he nodded before wheeling round to accompany Flint on another run at the goals.

Taking the cue I spun and darted down to hover over the drenched sand underneath Wood, head tipped up unflinchingly as I focused on my teammates approach. Angelina Johnson spotted me and made a steep dive to plough me or otherwise distract me but she was too slow; I shoulder slammed her on the way past for good measure and curled back to double up behind Pucey and Flint just as the former made a fake towards the left hoop. Wood twitched right and then committed as Pucey carried on at full speed, too distracted to see the slick pass he made back to me so I could peel right and make the goal in the rightmost hoop.

“Another goal for Slytherin and- Malfoy’s airbourne!”

I found myself wheeling round before I could really process the sentence, time seeming to crawl by suddenly as I saw Malfoy rocket up from the dugouts at the edge of the pitch, pinwheeling forward through the air as the broom slipped from between his thighs and his arms flailed for purchase. There was no time to think about how he would land or scoring another goal; I leaned forwards and jetted straight for him, pushing the head of my broom down to the grass as he fell boots over head closer to the ground-

“ZABINI!” I heard Flint’s roar from behind me just as I flung myself forward and snagged my hand in the back of Malfoy’s robes, not catching him but slowing his fall just in time for him to collide with the floor at a painful but not dangerous speed. Knowing he wasn’t hurt I spun right back around, racing for Wood and the goals while Flint and Pucey circled back round for another approach. We just needed one more, one more goal and even if-

“Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! Gryffindor tie with Slytherin!”

I slammed my fist into the handle of my broom with a scowl and pulled up slightly, slowing down as Flint simply redirected and shot towards me with a snarl clear on his face even through the faint shimmer of my Impervius Charm and the thick deluge.

“What were you thinking?!” he growled, barely braking in time to stop from ramming into me. “If you stayed where you were we could’ve snuck another goal in!”

“Malfoy was going to break his neck!” I cried, gesturing behind me in the vague direction of the blond. “I had to do _something_.”

“Let him; Pomfrey’s there for that. Changing rooms, now.” Flint shot me one last stony glare before turning and flying off to return the Quaffle to Hooch. The lack of empathy floored me and I frowned as I turned sharply and flew over to where Malfoy had fallen. He was plastered in mud and gingerly picking himself up, legs spread slightly too far apart as he kept his knees bent with a sharp grimace.

“You okay?” I called down to him, carefully lowering my broom so I hung over the grass just above eye level.

“Think I need the Hospital Wing,” he groaned, bending stiffly to pick up his Nimbus. “What happened?”

“We drew.” I told him curtly, hackles still up in the wake of Flint’s annoyance. “Potter caught the Snitch before we could score again.” Before he or I could say anything more Professor Snape came sweeping across the grass, every strand of hair and stitch of robes bone dry, the rain seeming to part and fall around him as he drew to a stop next to Malfoy.

“Are you injured, boy?”

“Yes sir.” Malfoy groaned again and clutched at his robes just above his groin area. I blinked in empty confusion and Snape’s mouth drew into a slightly tighter line before he waved his wand and conjured a stretcher.

“Very well, sit down and this will take you to the Hospital Wing. Miss Zabini will escort you. I will inform Flint of your whereabouts.”

“Of course sir,” I agreed easily, going to swing my leg off my broom but reconsidering when I saw the pulpy marsh of mud that was slowly seeping up through the green turf of the pitch. Malfoy hobbled to the stretcher very slowly and heaved himself up onto it, clutching at his broom and clenching his jaw as he finally settled into stillness. Snape flicked his wand wordlessly again and the stretcher set off at a swift cruise, and I had swung round to follow it when he spoke up again.

“And Miss Zabini… Well flown.”

“Thank you sir.” I had to bite back the large grin that threatened to split my face and settled instead on a demure nod before speeding off after the stretcher-borne Malfoy. We crossed the pitch and exited the stadium in silence aside from the odd huff as Malfoy readjusted himself on the white linen frame.

I drifted along next to him all the way up to the castle, ignoring the jeers from the various students we passed and only slipped off my broom as we passed through the front doors to the Entrance Hall. Thankfully the stretcher slowed down a little and I kept pace fairly easily as we wound up through the school and along several long corridors to reach the Hospital Wing. Potter was settled into a bed at the far end of the ward with most of the Gryffindor team and his two friends clustered around the bed, and it took a second for me to register Johnson sat up on the bed next to him with her right shoulder secured in a tight sling.

“What happened Malfoy, did your pride take a beating when you fell face first onto the turf?” Johnson called mockingly, eyes fixed heatedly on me all the while.

“Not another one-!” Madam Pomfrey hustled down the ward and directed the stretcher to a bed near the door with a flourish of her wand where it gently tipped Malfoy off onto the mattress. “What’s wrong with you?”

“He took a spill,” I spoke up, sending Malfoy a firm look to keep him quiet. “Fell from about fifty feet and I managed to slow him slightly but he still hit the ground hard.”

“Dearie me,” the matron sighed as she made some elegant movements with her wand, presumably casting some sort of diagnostic spell. “I’ll get you some pain reliever and something for the bruising but you won’t need to stay in.” She swept off past the huddle of Gryffindors into the back rooms presumably to grab the potions she needed.

“What happened to your shoulder Johnson?” I asked and turned slightly to look over my shoulder at the girl who scowled more fiercely when she noticed me looking.

“Don’t act like you didn’t do that on purpose! I slipped off my broom and fell just like your little boyfriend over there. Landed right on my shoulder, dislocated the joint and broke my collarbone.” Her hiss was venomous and I blinked a few times, fighting to keep the awkward expression of guilt from showing on my face; I hadn’t _meant_ to knock her off, I simply forgot her broom would be more slippery from the rain and overdid my nudge. But with the rest of the Gryffindors glaring at me I couldn’t exactly apologise.

“Pity I wasn’t paying attention, I’m sure you managed some quite spectacular acrobatics on the way down. Just be glad it was me and not another rogue Bludger; I see the other one got to Potter eventually.” I channelled Malfoy and painted a sneer on my face before turning my back sharply, ignoring the hissing whispers that broke out behind me. Two potion bottles zipped through the air and skidded to a stop just above Malfoy’s lap and he reached up to take them, uncorking the bottles and downing each potion with a slight grimace.

Flint and the rest of the team chose that moment to arrive, drawing all eyes and killing the Gryffindors’ discussion as they marched over to us with fierce glares at the lions. Pucey handed me my bag and I checked inside for my clothes before giving him a tight approximation of a smile. Flint just gave me a dark look before fixing his attention on his Seeker.

“What’s the diagnosis?”

“Nothing, just potions for the pain and bruising.” muttered Malfoy with a groan, waving his hand in the area of his pelvis. The rest of the boys winced sympathetically and Pucey just shook his head with an amused chuckle when he noticed my confused frown. Madam Pomfrey bustled back out of the back room with a large bottle of Skele-Gro in her hands, coming to a stop by Potter’s bed and tutting when she saw our cluster at the other end of the ward.

“Oh Mr Malfoy stop making a fuss, you can go! The rest of you too; out!”

“I’m going to shower and change. See you in the common room,” I mumbled to the team, slinging my bag and Nimbus over my shoulder before making my way out of the Hospital Wing. My legs ached a little from clinging onto my broom so tightly and I was chilled to the bone even if I wasn’t completely sopping wet. I made my way down to the dungeons to clean off and change into some comfy clothes before reluctantly leaving the safety of the dorm room for the match briefing with Flint.

The day passed uneventfully after that harrowing experience and I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening working through homework and making sure each task was completed to the best of my ability before I turned in for bed. Sunday the eighth dawned just as cold as the day before it and this year Blaise was the one who infiltrated the dormitory to wake me. Well, tried to anyway.

“Wake up!” Daphne hissed, shaking me firmly as I yawned and sluggishly sat up in bed still half asleep. “Deal with your idiot twin, he woke me up banging on the door! Also: happy birthday Bellen.”

“Love you too Daph,” I yawned again, forcing myself to climb out of bed and step over to the door and fling it open. Blaise scooped me out of the room and into a tight hug, already dressed and smelling warm and safe and familiar and I nearly fell asleep again right there with my head on his shoulder. “Happy birthday gemello.”

“Happy birthday Bell.” Blaise pressed two warm kisses to either cheek as was our tradition before ushering me back into my dorm room to change. Too sleepy but simultaneously too excited to be bothered with getting ready for the day quite yet, I simply shrugged my plush dressing gown on over my nightgown and scooped mine and Blaise’s presents up into my arms before making my way out into the hall. I earned an amused eyeroll from my brother at my lazy compromise to dressing and he led me out into the common room where Malfoy and Nott were sitting at a study table in the far corner.

“Happy birthday Zabini.” Malfoy called out to me as we approached, pointedly sliding a small silver wrapped box into the middle of the table. Nott put down his book and sent me a small smile with a murmured birthday wish, copying Malfoy and sliding a black wrapped book shaped object forwards as we sat down.

“Not _another_ book, surely?” He met my teasing with a fond eyeroll and simply settled back in his seat to carry on reading his own. I let my pile spread out on the table and picked out Blaise’s gift for him. “Here you are, a little more practical than last year’s.”

“Oh? We seem to have switched themes then,” he mused as he slid a small gift bag towards me before accepting his own much bulkier present. We unwrapped them in tandem and sent each other wide smiles when we reached the item underneath. “How did you know I wanted a new bag? And is this dragon skin?”

“Dippy is very talkative; and only the finest for me and mine. How did _you_ know I wanted a necklace like this?” I cooed in disbelief as I pulled the dainty silver chain out of its velvet pouch, admiring the tiny drop of diamond set into the eye of the snake charm. “It’s beautiful!”

“Dippy.” Blaise answered with an amused huff, examining the inside of his bag and watching me out of the corner of his eyes. “Now we match: serpent adornments around the neck area.”

“Yes, very touching,” Malfoy cut in with an air of exaggerated exasperation. “Now open the rest.”

“Careful, or I’ll do Weasley a favour and make sure you really do start regurgitating slugs.” I warned him with an amused squint, only stalling long enough for Blaise to clasp my necklace for me so I could dive into the rest of my gifts.

Nott’s was indeed a book, an interesting looking title on the etymology of spells and their subsequent construction which I promised myself I would start as soon as I had finished my current tome on finicky ritual potions. Malfoy’s present was gorgeous, elegant and expensive looking and all the more surprising for it; a beautiful bangle of silver with gold runic inlay scrolling around the metal. I flushed slightly (between this and the Nimbus I had a feeling Malfoy would be circling around any day now to collect his favours) and thanked him fervently before slipping it onto my left wrist.

Daphne had seemingly taken a leaf out of Nott’s book, pun fully intended. She had gifted me a manual of hair and cosmetic spells with some particularly fiddly wand work that I couldn’t wait to dissect in my free time. Davis had found some pretty silver earrings housing expertly cut green stones that anyone worth their upbringing could identify as highly polished glass but I appreciated the sentiment and wore them anyway; they were still rather attractive for fakes. Bulstrode had defaulted to yet more Chocolate Frogs and Parkinson had seemingly deviated to upgrade my sweets to a hearty collection of gourmet butterscotch.

“Thank you both,” I said again to the two boys opposite me once the rubbish had been dealt with, both of them waving off my appreciation in varying levels of self-satisfaction. “I’ll go right up to the Library after breakfast: I’m sure your book will help me select a new list of spells to investigate, Theodore.”

Nott blinked up at me from his book, a little taken aback, and I had to grin back when the smallest of smiles darted onto his face before he murmured, “Theo, please.”

“How come I’m still Malfoy?” the blond interjected, looking a little put out as he glanced from Nott - _Theo_ \- to me.

“Because I still can’t even _think_ your name without hearing Parkinson, let alone say it. _Draco_!” I simpered in her nasal received pronunciation, earning stifled snickers from Theo and Blaise while Malfoy flushed a faint pink and muttered something under his breath. “I’ll get there soon!”

I bid the three boys a bright goodbye and gathered my sweets and books together before dashing off to the dorms, using my residual excitement as motivation to shed my comfortable bedclothes and dress in a casual skirt and jumper combination after a hasty bath. Daphne was up and waited for me while I slipped some parchment, ink, my quill and the book on spell etymology into my messenger bag before we linked arms and left to join the boys.

Breakfast was surprisingly enjoyable even after we processed the hissed background noise and realised from a spot of eavesdropping that Potter’s paparazzo, Muggleborn Colin Creevey, had been attacked and was supposedly still unresponsive in the Hospital Wing. We shared dour looks before Daphne chirped something about a basket of pastries further down the table and we all rerouted our thoughts through our stomachs.

Pucey wandered over halfway through to wish me, and by extension Blaise, a good birthday and even Flint sent me a nod of acknowledgement on his way past us. But Theo’s book was weighing on my mind and shoulder and after we had finished eating and devolved into conversation, I excused myself to the Library amid a chorus of friendly protests and teasing. I smiled on my way up through the castle, almost skipping as the faint weight in my bag knocked lightly against my thigh and the cool chill of metal spread over my wrist.

I spent several hours spread out on a table by the windows overlooking the far-off Black Lake, the weak November sun bathing over the parchment as I poured over my pile of books and made diligent notes on each new spell I found that seemed worthwhile. Only the faint protests of my stomach broke me from my focus and I carefully stowed away my rolls of parchment and writing materials, diligently returning each book to their respective home before leaving the barren Library. I wondered if I would have any time to practise some of the simpler Charms later in the week, but I was thoroughly distracted when I bumped into something.

“Apologies-”

“Oh, look Archie,” a deep voice mused and I took an instinctive step backwards, raising my eyes to meet a pair of unfamiliar green. “A little snake.”

“All alone little snake?” Archie asked with artificial concern, muddy brown eyes narrowed while he pouted mockingly down at me. “Not very wise with everything that’s going on, is it Nick? Then again, the little snake is just so _safe_ from all of that, aren’t you?”

“I have no idea what you’re blathering on about,” I said coldly, straightening slightly and casting them both blank glares. I recognised them from Flint’s year: Archie Kenworth and Nicholas Lumley, both Gryffindors. “I apologise for knocking into you, I’m sure I’ll be more careful in future.” I swept past them with my nose in the air and was too focused on making a swift and dignified exit that I didn’t hear the muttered ‘No need’ before it was too late.

“Petrificus Totalus!”

I had no idea which one of them fired the spell but I was just fast enough to dance aside, registering the stiff wind that slashed past me in the wake of the spell before I was running, hand clutching my bag at my side while I tore round the nearest corner and flicked my wand out into my right palm. Still retreating, I spun around just far enough to have a clear view of the corridor when Kenworth and Lumley came crashing round the corner after me and I didn’t hesitate.

“Flipendo!” Kenworth went flying back into the wall but before I could switch target-

“Expelliarmus! Incarcerous!”

My wand went flying out of my hand and suddenly a tangle of ropes had slammed into me, pinning my arms tight at my sides and sending me toppling over with an alarmed cry. My head smashed into the stone floor and I blinked hazily, dark spots swelling in and out of my vision while a muffled ringing filled my head. I felt the distinct urge to be sick and swallowed thickly, struck suddenly with the image of Weasley dribbling up slugs. _I will not be humiliated_.

“Little bitch!” Kenworth hissed, striding over to stand above me before delivering a sharp kick to my middle. A pained noise slipped out before I bit my lip to muffle the rest then opened my mouth to call or scream for help- “Silencio.” I glared at him hatefully but he had turned his attention to Lumley. “What do we do with Zabini now?”

“I say we string her up somewhere, make it known _exactly_ how we feel about dirty cheating snakes. Maybe we should break something, as a favour to Johnson?” he leered down at me and I gave him the coldest sneer I could manage, trying to swallow around the hot lump of fear that had suddenly settled in my throat. I would be fine, they couldn’t do anything to me, a Prefect or a ghost or a teacher would walk by at any moment-

“Shouldn’t she look the part a little more Nick? I mean, a blue jumper and some ropes don’t exactly scream ‘filthy snake’ to me mate.” Kenworth rolled me over onto my front with his foot and I wriggled frantically, trying to spot my wand or loosen the ropes. If I could just get one hand free-! “Petrificus Totalus.” This time the spell collided and I felt my muscles suddenly seize in tandem, freezing me as stiff as a board with my chin propped on the floor so I could stare the length of the still empty corridor.

“Good job Archie, she looks better already!” Lumley crowed and I had to force myself to take slow breaths as I heard them pace around me, muttering ideas to themselves while I watched the tips of their shoes come into view before moving away again. “Densaugeo. Engorgio Skullus.”

If I could have made a sound I wouldn’t have been able to supress the whimper of pain as an insistent pressure bloomed to life in my brain and I felt my skull begin to shift and expand with the rest of my head, even as my two upper canines began lengthening. In the blur of pain and panic I couldn’t process the next spell but still saw the green flash of light and felt the uncomfortable prickling that rippled violently over my skin as my head and teeth just _kept growing_.

“Brilliant job!” Kenworth crowed, lifting me from the floor with a mumbled spell and floating me down the hallway even as the spells kept altering my appearance. My heart was slamming itself against my ribcage and I felt nauseous again; between the ache in my upper jaw as my teeth far surpassed the length of fangs or even tusks, the mounting pressure in my skull and the pitch and roll of my vision as I was carelessly moved, I had to swallow far more frequently as saliva suddenly flooded the inside of my mouth.

“Where should we display our work do you think, Archie, Entrance Hall? If we stick her in the rafters over the doors she might not get noticed til dinner, then the whole school would see.”

“Fine with me mate.” I could hear the smirk in Kenworth’s voice and Lumley chuckled just as nastily as they ferried me along. The castle was completely deserted considering it was a Sunday afternoon which I usually exploited for my weekly Library excursions, but never before had I wished so hard for a rowdy group of students to sweep round each approaching corner. No luck however, and as promised we ended up in the Entrance Hall only a short time after my head and teeth seemed to have stopped growing.

“Soak this up Zabini. If the whole school didn’t already know your name after that filthy foul yesterday, they will now.” Lumley stepped in front of me to smirk and wave teasingly before Kenworth sent me sailing upwards and pinned me in place with a barrage of spells that I was too high up to hear clearly.

I heard their mocking laughter as they retreated and looked around desperately for help but all I could see were the walls and torches at eye level. Even if I had seen someone, I was still magically silenced and could no more call for help than free myself. And, with a sickening lurch, I realised that my wand was still lying discarded in the corridor where I had been attacked with no way and no one to retrieve it.

That’s when the tears slipped free, silent and fierce as they slid down my cheeks in cascades, some dripping off my chin and the rest sliding down my jaw and strained neck into the neckline of my jumper to dampen the fabric around my collarbones. I knew they would have been accompanied by great heaving sobs and felt a blind flash of gratitude that I _had_ been silenced and therefore didn’t have to deal with this humiliation on top of everything else.

Hours passed and I realised blearily, while my cheeks stung and pulled tight with the residual salt left behind by drying tears, that I must have been in the Library throughout the entirety of lunch since the confrontation with the two Gryffindors hadn’t taken more than five or ten minutes. My thoughts slipped in and out of coherency and I only felt some semblance of presence when the sound of approaching chatter sent my heartbeat racing painfully once more.

I braced for the footsteps to falter, waited for the talk to die out or raise in jeers and calls of glee but nothing happened. People filed through the Entrance Hall beneath me, either on their way into the dungeons or into the Hall early for dinner but made no sign that they were aware of my presence. I suppose I foolishly hoped that I wouldn’t be spotted and that Blaise or Daphne or Theo would be worried by my absence and some teacher would scour the castle only to find me magically bound and gagged by fellow students; but it _was_ a foolish hope.

“What’s that up there?”

I heard the falter of footsteps, heard the confused murmurs before indeed the jeers and shouts and shrieks and laughter rang through the Entrance Hall as whoever spotted me called for reinforcements, called for more witnesses to my utter humiliation. I couldn’t have stopped the fresh wave of tears if I tried.

“Is it supposed to be a snake?!”

“Must have been some Gryffs! Or some really nasty Ravenclaws.”

“Isn’t that Slytherin’s new Chaser? Zabeen whatever?”

“Don’t mess with Johnson, pureblood scum!”

I heard it all and cried just a little harder, so consumed with trying to breathe past the moisture streaking around my nose and mouth that it took several minutes before I realised my toes and fingers were flexing in helpless agitation. I could feel the faint tremor of magic as the Full-Body Bind slowly began to decay and fail, creeping up from my extremities and spreading along limbs but it was so slow and far too late: I had no wand and I would be just as stuck as I was now, but I would be free to thrash in desperation for the entirety of Hogwarts’ amusement.

“What’s all this, what’s all- Sweet Merlin!” Lockhart’s voice floated up from the pandemonium below me and my fingers curled into clawed half fists. _No_! _Anyone but him-_ “Should have informed one of the staff, goodness gracious! Not to worry, not to worry. Step back everyone!” Some of the noise died down and I heard the shuffling of feet and clothes as the crowd seemed to listen. “Right then, let me see… Finite Incantatem!”

There was a second of silence, of bated breath as everyone in the Hall waited to see what would happen and I dug my nails into my palms to stay my tears. My hugely enlarged teeth suddenly dropped straight out of my head, my _head_ suddenly seemed to shrink in a way that left my face feeling oddly loose and numb, and I came suddenly unstuck from the wall with an odd sucking noise. The Body Bind hadn’t budged a bit though and I plummeted to the floor among screams and cries from the other students.

“LOCKHART!” I heard the enraged bellow from off to my right and felt the desperate grip of someone’s magic but it was too little too late; my arms suddenly came unstuck in time for me to brace my impact, and with a sickening crack I felt them both fold under me in two different places before I was hit with the _pain_.

I distantly felt hands on me as I shrieked, the sudden heat and pain and shock of it all prompting me to heave thickly as I was turned onto my back and suddenly clustered around. Through tears and the lancing pain of torchlight I made out Snape, red faced and bellowing soundlessly at Lockhart, and then the faces of Malfoy and Daphne and Theo and Blaise (who looked almost as pale as his counterparts) and I clenched my jaw against the fresh wave of nauseating pain and _I_ _refused to throw up in front of the entire school._

Snape’s voice suddenly came from somewhere much closer and when had the sound come back? I saw Malfoy and Daphne and Theo and Blaise shift out of my vision and I reached out for them with a desperate cry; only to hear Snape curse and see my arm shift and flop off my chest sickeningly and feel the grating of bones and be slammed with a fresh wave of burning pain before I finally reached my limit. My eyes rolled back and I pitched headfirst into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	8. Seven - Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellen learns the true meaning of House loyalty as she processes her trauma in the fallout of the attack, helped along by some new and unlikely allies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT FINALLY HAPPENED! Bellen and Draco are officially friends. Also; Ron's an ass, Hermione's a sweetheart, and Harry's as oblivious as ever.

The next month was hell.

I had been forced to stay in the Hospital Wing until Wednesday morning under the strict supervision of Madam Pomfrey. She was adamant that visits more than five minutes in length would send me hurtling into some sort of fatal remission, so the itch under my skin from missing Blaise grew tenfold every hour. Luckily he was glued to my side from the second I made it back to the common room and was more than happy for me to copy his class notes during my free time.

Daphne, Theo and Malfoy seemed reluctant to leave me alone either. Clearly they had read the mood of the school in my absence and formulated a plan, since one or more of them escorted me to and from classes, the Library, the Great Hall and Daphne was now my full time bathroom buddy. The first time I had been jeered at in the hallway, I had stiffened but my brother discreetly ushered me along, our friends closing ranks around us and sneering at anyone who came close. I kept a look of carefully honed blankness on my face at all times and allowed the others to do the heavy lifting.

Of course, I cried under cover of darkness in the privacy of my four poster but I kept my fear and embarrassment to myself. I already seemed weak enough that I needed an entourage and bodyguard wherever I went, I didn’t need them treating me with kid gloves on top of it all. Even the older students seemed to think me pathetic enough to deserve some sort of protection; or maybe it was simple retribution for attacking one of their own.

Pucey and two of his friends had managed to get in a full-on duel with a gaggle of Ravenclaws who had been mocking me on the way to Care of Magical Creatures and all of them had received detentions until the end of term. Several seventh year Gryffindors had ended up hospitalised after running afoul of some particularly nasty hexes but the culprits hadn’t been caught. Even Flint acted out on my behalf, deliberately tripping Kenworth down the Grand Staircase and then swanning his way out of punishment when Professor Snape arrived on the scene.

Each night brought a reprieve from the stress and anxiety of the day, only to roll smoothly into a fresh set of relentless challenges. I was now the butt of the entire school’s jokes, a welcome reprieve from the dour threat hanging over the castle, prompting snickers and taunts where previously I would have been harmlessly brushed over if not acknowledged respectfully. It shredded my nerves to tatters and ripped my self-esteem down to go crashing through the floor. I kept my head down and retreated into my books and spells and work but I still wasn’t safe.

Mother had sent Blaise and I a letter at the start of December telling us that she would be out of the country over the holidays and as such we would need to spend our Christmas and New Year’s away from home for the first time ever. Apparently, Malfoy had overheard mine and my brother’s hushed conversation for he had loudly announced his plans to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays only a day later and unsurprisingly Crabbe and Goyle were quick to follow his lead. I didn’t miss Blaise’s grateful nod to the blond but I kept my mouth shut; the feeling of needing to be monitored rankled but I couldn’t help feeling slightly relieved all the same.

In one of the last Potions classes of the term during the second week of December, I was partnered with Theo as was commonplace while we worked carefully on Swelling Solutions for the first time. I used the focus required to cut and grind and stew each of the ingredients to keep my mind blank, happy to lose myself in the repetitive precision that brewing required. Until Crabbe and Goyle managed to do what Daphne and I had been taunting for a full year now; they blew themselves up.

Well, their cauldron did, managing to erupt and spew solution all over the gaping pair and douse half the class along with them. Theo had just been coming back from the supply cupboard and managed to escape the shower of potion but Malfoy and I had received direct hits to the face and Blaise and Daphne’s legs had both been splashed pretty thoroughly.

“Look at Zabini! Maybe her head swelling up so often is a sign, right Harry?” Weasley’s snorting reached me across the room even over the panic and dismayed cries of my classmates. I had to exert all of my willpower to keep myself from crying as my neck began to ache from the strain of holding my growing head upright, feeling my hands start to shake violently as I staggered to my feet.

“Silence!” Snape bellowed over the din. “Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draught. When I find out who did this-”

Malfoy’s own head was dipping under the weight of his altered nose but he grabbed my hand and towed me along beside him as he pushed and elbowed his way to the front of the classroom, pushing me in front of him when we finally reached Snape. His black eyes met mine before they flicked into the back corner to Weasley and Potter’s table and I felt my heart lurch painfully as I realised that he too had heard the ginger’s comment.

“Here Miss Zabini.” Snape’s voice was low but his face was blank as he uncorked a small vial of light blue potion and handed it over to me. I swallowed it down careful not to spill a single drop and felt the sting of more tears, relieved this time, as my head returned to normal size. My throat burned and I didn’t trust my tenuous hold on my emotions so I dipped my head in a swift nod of thanks before retreating to our table. Once the affected students had been seen to, Snape swept over to the second Slytherin table and leaned over Crabbe and Goyle’s cauldron to fish out the charred remains of the sabotage device. “If I ever find out who threw this… I shall make _sure_ that person is expelled.”

He glared coldly at Potter’s table and I saw the boy widen his eyes in the falsest expression of innocence I had ever seen on man or beast. Snape knew he couldn’t make a move however and swept back to his desk after Vanishing the blackened object, waving at us to carry on with our potions. Theo sent me an exasperated look and I responded with a small smile before adding three level measures of pufferfish eyes to our green solution.

Class was dismissed only ten minutes later with none of us having finished our potions and so Snape emptied the contents of our cauldrons with a sharp wave of his wand before letting us make our escape. I somehow managed to give all four of my babysitters the slip and hurried along several side passages to the nearest set of bathrooms, rushing inside and darting into the closest cubicle to gag over the porcelain bowl while my hands quaked and tears blurred my vision.

“Breathe-” I gasped, spitting foul tasting saliva into the toilet while I trembled head to toe. “Bellen Zabini, calm down and _breathe_.”

“Um Bellen-?” The voice had me spinning around with my wand out in less than a second, and it took a moment for me to blink the tears out of my eyes and recognise that I had Granger pressed up against the sinks at wand point. “I’m sorry, I heard crying-”

“You breathe a word of this to _anyone_ ,” I hissed, face twisted in an expression of cold anger lest my panic seep through and make me look even weaker. “And I will make you regret being born Granger. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, I-” Granger swallowed and something in her eyes softened very slightly as she looked at me. “Are you… Are you alright?” She watched me expectantly and I stepped back, wrong-footed by her response. Why would she care?

“I-” My voice cracked and I scowled, shoving my wand away and spinning around to put my back to Granger while I fussed around in the cubicle. “I’m fine.”

“What they did to you was horrible… No one thinks you did anything to deserve it-”

“ _I_ think you’re hanging around the wrong people,” I scoffed, flushing the toilet and hoisting my bag onto my shoulder. “I’m the laughing stock of the school.”

“Or maybe I’m hanging around the right people?” That gave me pause and Granger stepped forwards a little. “I know we’re in different Houses but if you need someone to talk to, or a friend-”

“Dream on Granger.” I spat, whirling around and sweeping past the worried looking girl. “As if I would ever be friends with a filthy Gryff.” I stormed out of the bathroom with my head held high and continued all the way through the dungeons up into the main castle and into the Great Hall for lunch.

Over the next week, news of a newly formed Duelling Club seemed to be making the rounds of the school rumour mill, only to be confirmed by the appearance of a flyer on the Entrance Hall’s noticeboard. The first meeting would be that night at eight o’clock and everybody in the year seemed excited to attend. I considered avoiding it altogether, knowing that near enough the entire school would be packed into the Great Hall, but I pushed my initial reservations aside in favour of the potential use of the session: at the very least I needed to learn how to protect myself, if not hone my duelling skills and finally find an outlet for my ever expanding arsenal of spells.

We all filed into the Hall five minutes before the hour to find the long House tables gone and one long golden stage running down the centre of the room, with what seemed to be half the school crowding around it and chattering loudly. We all clustered down at the far end of the stage and gave each other excited glances when we noticed Snape hanging at the edges of the crowd looking bored and more than mildly irritated already. Malfoy sneered and pointed our attention over to the right when he noticed the approach of the Gryffindors in our year.

“I hope we get to partner off,” he murmured, eyes still on Potter. “I’d like to show him a thing or two.”

“Gather round, gather round!” Lockhart made his way onto the stage in extravagant robes of deep plum while Snape followed him up looking as close to politely murderous as a face could physically manage. “Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me?”

“I wish I couldn’t.” I grumbled under my breath, only to receive an elbow to the ribs from my brother who gestured for me to be quiet. “Shove off Blaise.”

“Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Duelling Club to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions – for full details, see my published works! Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling and had sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don’t want any of you youngsters to worry; you’ll still have your Potions master when I’m through with him, never fear!”

Snape’s lip was curled up in clear derision by the time Lockhart finished his little speech, turning to face the blond wizard and barely dipping his head in response to his opponent’s ostentatious flourishing before they both raised their wands in the classic ready position.

“As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position.” They both lowered their wands in tandem and turned away from the other to take ten steps away before turning again to pause in their engaged stances. “On the count of three we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course.” Lockhart shot the crowd a winning smile while Snape’s sneer deepened just a hair. “One, two, three!”

“Expelliarmus!” Snape struck lightning fast. A red flash of light shot from his wand and slammed hard into Lockhart’s chest, sending his wand sailing from his hand while the force of the Disarmer sent its owner flying backwards off the stage to slam into the floor. Our knot of Slytherins cheered and clapped, enthused by the skill of our Head and the treatment of our worst teacher by far.

“Well- There you have it! That was a Disarming Charm, as you see I’ve lost my wand-” Lockhart panted as he staggered to his feet, clambering back onto the gold platform and smiling weakly when some Ravenclaw girl passed up his wand. “Yes, an excellent idea to show them that Professor Snape but if you don’t mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy. However, I felt it would be instructive to let them see…” Snape’s face had frozen over and Lockhart seemed to sense the danger since he carried on quickly. “Enough demonstrating! I’m going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you’ll help me-”

They swept down into the crowd and split students up with intense discrimination, leaving very few single House groups intact. Snape made his way through the students to our little gathering of second years very quickly, a small smirk slipping onto his face as he reached the Gryffindors.

“Time to split up the dream team I think. Weasley, you can partner Finnegan. I don’t think so Potter,” he hissed coldly when the boy made to shift closer to Granger. “Mr Malfoy, come over here. Let’s see what you make of the famous Potter. And you Miss Granger, you can partner Miss Zabini.”

I cast Blaise a slightly apprehensive look before I straightened and followed Malfoy over to the lions, a look of cool disinterest pasted on my face as I evaluated Granger. This would be easy. My magic was stronger than hers as a pureblood, and all I needed was to separate her wand from her or make her incapable of casting. Simple.

“Face your partners and bow!” Lockhart called from the stage, Snape at his side as we all shuffled into some space and bowed to our partners. Granger looked focused and out of the corner of my eye I saw Potter and Malfoy barely tip their heads as they eyed each other with hatred. “Wands at the ready. When I count to three, cast your Charms to disarm your opponent – _only_ to disarm them – we don’t want any accidents. One, two, three-!”

“Petrificus Totalus!”

I didn’t even know if Granger cast the spell; I was slammed with a wave of fierce panic, nausea roiling in my gut as I flung myself to the side, colliding with Blaise and slipping to the floor while my hands shook and my breathing became fast and shallow.

“I said _disarm only_!” Lockhart’s shriek sounded a long way off, like it was filtering down to me through water and the Hall around me swum as tears filled my eyes. My chest hurt and every breath felt like the air had suddenly solidified. Everything around me was fuzzy but I could feel hands on my shoulders and hear frantic voices.

“Granger, don’t-”

“She’s having a panic attack, I can help-!” The previous pair of hands were replaced by a new colder pair, and I faintly made out a brown cloud framing the pale face swimming in front of me. “Listen Bellen, one in, one out. Deep breath in, deep breath out, can you do that for me? One in… and one out.”

I listened to the voice, taking breaths as slowly as I could physically manage and feeling the tight band around my chest ease second by second as my shaking slowed and my heartrate calmed. Soon I could blink the tears from my hazy vision and made out Granger knelt in front of me with her hands on my shoulders. She gave me a tentative smile before she was pushed aside by Blaise who lurched forward to hug me tight and pull me carefully to my feet.

“I think I’d better teach you how to _block_ unfriendly spells,” Lockhart was babbling as the crowd began to quiet down and cluster a little closer to the stage. Blaise held me tight against his side and I felt him shake his head slightly as Theo and Malfoy shot me confused looks. I scowled, turning my face away and scrubbing at the moisture on my face with a robe sleeve while I kept my breathing measured. “Let’s have a volunteer pair: Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you?”

“A bad idea Professor Lockhart,” Snape mused, gliding across the stage with a miniscule smirk. “Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We’ll be sending what’s left of Finch-Fletchley up to the Hospital Wing in a match box.”

“Potter and Weasley then!” Lockhart cried, waving them forwards. Potter started and began shuffling through the crowd to reach the steps at the end of the stage but Snape spoke up before Weasley could move.

“Weasley; again, not a wise choice. How about someone from my own House… Malfoy, perhaps?” Lockhart looked uncomfortable but did not protest so Snape whirled on his heel, fixing Malfoy with his dark eyes and jerking a thumb over his shoulder as he strode along the platform towards us. Malfoy grinned and climbed up onto the stage eagerly, passing by Snape and heading for the midpoint where Lockhart waited for Harry’s approach.

“Miss Zabini, are you injured?” Snape’s voice was low as he stopped by our group, head turned and eyes fixed to Malfoy as he spoke.

“No sir.” I was forever grateful that my voice stayed calm and strong and I saw Snape incline his head in a subtle nod as Lockhart strode away from his little huddle with Potter and the two rivals faced off in the middle of the room.

“Wands at the ready!”

“Scared Potter?” I could hear the smirk in Malfoy’s whisper even with his back to us and I saw Potter’s eyes narrow slightly in response.

“You wish.” They both spun in place and took ten paces in opposite directions, turning and entering their engaged positions. Potter looked unsure, fidgeting and shifting his defensive stance slightly while he stared down Malfoy who was poised and collected as he held his wand in the offensive position.

“Three… two-”

“Everte Statum!” Malfoy fired first, smoothly stepping forwards with the motion of his wand as an orange jet of light flew forwards and crashed into Potter, sending him flipping backwards through the air to land hard on his side at Lockhart’s feet. There were a few murmurs and the sound of Crabbe chortling as Malfoy relaxed, looking proud of himself before Potter scrambled to his feet and took aim once more.

“Rictusempra!” Silver light erupted from his wand and though the Tickling Charm had absolutely no effect, the force of the spell flung Malfoy backwards to land on his arse only feet away from us to the amusement of most of the Hall. I saw his face flush angrily as he glanced over at us, silver eyes meeting mine before Snape hoisted him up by the collar and shoved him back into the duel.

“Serpensortia!” A long black adder shot from the tip of Malfoy’s wand with a loud bang, smacking onto the floor between the two and rearing up with an angry hiss and fangs bared. Malfoy smirked at Potter as the boy backed up hastily along with half of the Hall, looking up at Snape for approval as he strode forwards.

“Don’t move Potter… I’ll get rid of it for you-”

“Allow me Professor Snape!” Lockhart sprung forwards, stopping Snape in his tracks as he grinned round at us all before flourishing his wand at the adder. “Volate Ascendere!”

The snake shot high into the air, each face in the Hall tipped up to track its progress as it reached its apex and fell back to the stage with a loud slap. The snake thrashed for a moment, hissing loudly before it reared up, clearly panicked and defensive as it fixated on the person closest: Finch-Fletchley. Potter took several slow steps forwards, eyes narrowed on the snake as he opened his mouth and grating hissing noises made their way out.

Somehow the noises worked and the adder pulled back, fangs receding as it coiled slowly back to the floor of the stage suddenly as docile as a cat. Potter looked up with a relieved smile, turning to the Hufflepuff as if expecting a congratulations but the boy was pale and shaking, sweating as he fixed fear filled eyes on the Gryffindor.

“What do you think you’re playing at?!” Finch-Fletchley didn’t wait for an answer, turning on his heel and storming out of the Hall at top speed. Muttering filled the room and Snape stepped forwards, Vanishing the snake with a small puff of black smoke and staring impassively at Potter before he was tugged away by Weasley and Granger.

“Well, uh… I suppose we should end the session here-”

Everyone broke out into loud chatter, completely ignoring the rest of Lockhart’s speech as people flooded to the doors and began streaming out of the Hall. Blaise kept me tucked into his side while we headed for the exit, pausing so Malfoy could hop down off the stage and join us before carrying on. The journey down to the dungeons passed in a blur and all too soon we were entering the common room.

“When the hell did Potter become a Parselmouth?” demanded Theo, causing the whole group to erupt in mutters and chatter as we made our way to the sofas. I pulled myself away from Blaise gently, giving him a soft reassuring smile before I reached out and snagged the sleeve of Malfoy’s robe.

“Zabini?” He lowered his voice slightly as he let me pull him away from our group to a shadowy corner of the common room. “Are you injured?”

“What?”

“I saw you go down against Granger; you were crying. Were you hurt?” His brows were furrowed very slightly as he looked at me and I had to blink the shock away with a quick headshake as I processed his concern with an embarrassed flush.

“I’m fine. It just- My mind went back to when I got attacked, it rattled me slightly-” My voice was faintly shaky and Malfoy’s frown deepened a little as he leaned forwards, voice going lower yet again.

“You don’t need to be ashamed-”

“I’m not ashamed!” I flushed again as several older students looked over curiously, so I grabbed Malfoy’s sleeve and tugged him further into the shadows. “Look, I need your help. You clearly know how to duel, you looked confident and you know spells above our skill range. I want you to teach me how to fight.” Malfoy preened slightly under the praise even as he fixed me with a serious grey gaze.

“That’s what the Duelling Club is for, I don’t know how to teach someone-”

“No, I don’t want an audience.” I shook my head fiercely and watched as he pursed his lips and titled his head in clear question. “We’re both going to be here over the holidays so it won’t get in the way of school work and we’re less likely to be caught. I don’t want to learn how to duel, I want to be taught how to _fight_ and I trust you to do that.”

“Zabini…” I watched Malfoy’s expression shift infinitesimally as he thought, knowing he understood the distinction and realised how serious I was about this. Finally he sighed and nodded, frown disappearing and face smoothing out. “Fine, I’ll help you. But I’m not going to go easy on you because you’re a girl.”

“Good, or you’re not the person I thought you were.” I tried to break the serious atmosphere with a small smile and Malfoy rolled his eyes exasperatedly but I saw his mouth twitch up at the corners. “I know there’s an empty Potions lab down here we could use-”

“Third floor corridor,” Malfoy suggested with a small headshake. “The dungeons are too echoey and none of the teacher’s quarters are near there. It’s abandoned so as long as we seal the main doors Filch and his mangy cat won’t be able to reach us. How about we have one session this weekend just to go over basics and once term ends, we can practise as much as you want?”

“That sounds fine.” I nodded and Malfoy returned my gesture with his own, straightening a little and looking more than a little self-satisfactory. “Could you tell my brother I’m going to bed please; and that I’ll see everyone tomorrow at breakfast.”

“Of course. Sleep well Zabini.” Malfoy nodded as he stepped back towards the group and I sent him a small smile and wave as I left for the girls’ dorms, quickly getting ready for bed and happily crawling in as the fatigue from the evening suddenly washed over me. I fell asleep quickly and didn’t wake until Daphne practically dragged me out of bed onto the cold stone floor the following morning.

Then of course the day was tainted by the attack. Justin Finch-Fletchley had been the victim this time as well as the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, who had turned black and was frozen in mid-air. It was the state of the ghost that had the panic boiling out of control; students flocked to their Heads of Houses to reverse their decision to stay at Hogwarts and soon it seemed as if only the Golden Trio, we few Slytherins and a smattering of older students would be inhabiting the castle over the break.

Most people seemed to think that Potter’s display of Parseltongue that night at the Duelling Club meant he was some powerful Dark wizard in the making and that _clearly_ he was behind the attacks. Malfoy scoffed at the very thought and I was inclined to agree with him: not only was Potter an average wizard at best, there was also no doubt that he was one for the Light. He had some sort of hero complex and his magic was powerful but not in the cloying way that would indicate Darkness. I couldn’t explain how I knew it, just that I did.

Malfoy met me in the common room at midnight on Saturday as promised, both of us dressed head to toe in black with wands in hand as we made our way out into the dungeons and then all the way up through the school to the third floor. I sealed the main door behind us with a whispered ‘Colloportus’ and followed Malfoy as he beckoned me along the corridor so we could lock the other entrance points before we doubled back to a disused classroom with several windows and a brilliant view onto the moonlit front lawn.

“Right, tell me what you know about duelling, fighting, whatever you want to call it.” Malfoy was all business as he sat himself on top of a desk, arms crossed over his chest.

“I know about the rules of a classic duel, the varying positions and stances, that your opponent loses when they are convincingly disarmed or incapacitated. In a real fight if you play by the rules, you’re more likely than not going to lose and that it’s much faster and nastier than a classic duel.”

“Exactly,” praised Malfoy, giving me an impressed nod once I had finished. “You have to play dirty or you’re willingly putting yourself at a disadvantage.”

“It’s why you cast early. Against Potter,” I clarified quickly when he looked confused. “You engaged before Lockhart finished the countdown.”

“Oh, yes.” He looked impressed again before he wiped his face clean and went right back to being serious. “Now, what happened to startle you with Granger?”

“I-”

“Don’t lie.” Malfoy didn’t react when I sent a stony glare his way so I sighed reluctantly, staring at the desk to his left while I answered.

“Someone cast the Full-Body Bind nearby… That’s what Kenworth and Lumley- They hit me with that once they brought me down.”

“Right, well, before we can work out your style we need to get you over that first.” Malfoy met my eyes dispassionately as he slipped off the desk, drawing his wand and backing off to the far side of the room to stand with it pointed at me.

“Malfoy, you don’t get it-!”

“No, I don’t, and neither will the next person who wants to attack you.” His grey eyes were flat and stern as he watched me shift backwards slightly. “They’re going to use it against you and you’re going to lose, to be _weak_ again. So get over it.” He must have read the slight fear in my expression because his wand dipped slightly and his expression lost its edge. “Trust me Zabini. Just stand still and stay calm. That’s all I want you to do.”

“Okay,” I breathed, forcing myself to stand straight while I breathed deeply and fisted my hands at my sides. “Okay.”

Malfoy nodded slightly and I watched as he raised his wand again, aiming carefully at my face before he shifted his hand several inches to the left and cut me one last glance. I squared my jaw and he must have been convinced by the steel in my expression because less than a second later-

“Petrificus Totalus.”

I flinched aside before I could stop myself and the spell missed me by a good foot, hitting the stone wall behind me and dissipating harmlessly across the surface. My hands shook faintly and I curled them into tighter fists as I retook my previous position, breathing uneven and heart thundering in my chest.

“Petrificus Totalus.”

Malfoy gave me no chance to calm down and I cringed but held my position as the spell raced past my left shoulder at a fair distance. My pulse spiked sickeningly and I swallowed hard, closing my eyes and forcing myself to steady my breathing as the assault continued. On and on, spell after spell, each one getting closer and closer, practically running into each other as Malfoy cast as fast as physically possible.

“Good.” I opened my eyes cautiously and found Malfoy standing a few steps closer, mouth turned up in a small smirk as he watched me relax. “We have to come back to it a few times to make sure you’re completely desensitised to it, but it was a good start Zabini. Now, my guess is that your instinct isn’t to block a spell, it’s to move out of the way. Correct?”

“I suppose so,” I shrugged a little and frowned in thought. “That might just be because I haven’t learned the Shield Charm yet although I know it’s an option. But I think motion puts you at advantage since it’s harder to hit a moving target, and most people like to hold their ground when duelling to concentrate on their spell work so moving will distract them.”

“I never thought of it that way.” Malfoy paused for a moment to think over what I said before nodding to himself and refocusing. “I definitely prefer to be moving in a line or circle, but I’m fine with holding a fixed position. It will make for some good practise if you prefer moving around. So, let’s start basic. Let’s face off and throw Disarmers at each other, just so you get an idea of what feels natural.”

I nodded and pulled back to my side of the classroom, adopting an offensive position while Malfoy backed up and copied me. But the placement of my arms felt awkward so I shifted into a defensive, the blond waiting patiently while I switched to the unorthodox versions of each stance only to feel just as stiff in those. So I dropped any thought of styles completely, shifting myself slowly into a position I felt comfortable with: body facing halfway to the right so I wasn’t standing entirely head on, left palm face-down and extended by a few inches for stability, right arm drawn up with my hand by my jaw and wand pointing past my chin at Malfoy.

“Ready-?”

“Expelliarmus!”

I used his tactic against him, flicking my wand in a sharp prod as the red spell shot from it. Malfoy sidestepped calmly and sent the same jet of light rocketing back at me without pause. Perfectly poised to turn in either direction, I stepped forward with my right foot and spun anti-clockwise, easily using the carry through of my right arm to cast at Malfoy once more. We continued throwing spells back and forth, making small adjustments to dodge the streaks of light and holding our own for around a full minute. I finally managed to surprise him, ducking under his last spell instead of whirling aside and popping back up with my own Disarmer already sailing his way. He couldn’t dodge in time and his wand flew out of his hand to clatter to the floor.

“Impressive.” Malfoy looked extremely pleased, crouching to scoop up his wand before straightening to face me with a small grin. “I guess the Quidditch training paid off twofold; you move fast.”

“Really? You weren’t just going easy on me?” I couldn’t stop myself from smiling, a small flutter of excitement doing laps of my stomach.

“Obviously it’s not the same as an actual duel and I wasn’t trying to kill myself to disarm you, but that was still way better than some beginner could have done. We’re still kids anyway so I know I’m not brilliant and we both have a long way to go-”

“Thank you!” I darted forward and hugged Malfoy before I really knew what I was doing, too caught up in the elation of my miniscule success. He went stiff and I dropped my arms quickly, stepping back and clearing my throat while I avoided eye contact. “I just… It means a lot to me.”

“Yes, well-” Malfoy coughed slightly. “When we can both do Shield Charms we can duel properly and see who’s better, but we can keep at the basics for now until you get completely comfortable. We can use more spells next time.”

“Okay,” I agreed easily, smiling and darting over to the door to listen for any activity. “We should get back to the dungeons before we push our luck any more.”

“You go first,” suggested Malfoy after a brief pause. “I’ll go and unlock the other doors on the floor and then I’ll follow you down.” I nodded in agreement and he shot me a small grin before waving me through the door. I hurried along the corridor and paused at the double doors leading to the main school, looking over my shoulder and watching as Malfoy slipped off into the darkness to undo our work on the other doors on the floor.

“Alohomora,” I whispered, hearing the faint click of the lock and the squelch as the door unsealed itself before I gently eased it open and stepped through. Hearing nothing but my own breathing, I crept along the hallway and down the stairs leading to the Entrance Hall and made my way down to the dungeons. I waited outside the common room for Malfoy and let out a relieved breath when his shiny blond head came into view through the gloom, mumbling the password and wishing each other goodnight before slipping off to the safety of our dorm rooms.

Once term ended we were free to practise as much as we wanted to, ending up in the third floor classroom nearly every night as we worked on curbing my reaction to the Body Bind and poring over books and scrolls from the Library as we looked up new spells or techniques to help in a duel. Malfoy and I made good practice partners, able to keep up with each other mentally and technically since our styles and magic clashed so well, and it showed in the advancement in our friendship.

I was now able to make more conversation with the blond than polite chatter or exasperated quips and jokes, both of us now willing to delve into discussions over Charms homework or Potions theory or the disadvantages of a new duelling style we had discovered. Blaise seemed confused but accepting of the sudden change and Crabbe and Goyle noticed nothing at all; though nobody was exceedingly surprised by this.

We spent evenings in front of the fire chatting about our families and childhoods, afternoons out in the snow building manors and castles and magical creatures before it inevitably devolved into a vicious battle, mornings curled up in chairs working through homework or duelling techniques or magical theory, nights in our classroom throwing spells and taunts at each other in equal measure.

It wasn’t exactly clear how or when it had happened but I could firmly consider Draco Malfoy a friend, and for better or for worse I could admit he had made an impact in my life. And if on the morning of the twenty fifth I had made my way into the boys’ dormitory and greeted him by name, he had blinked in shock before composing himself and responding with a drawled ‘Merry Christmas Bellen’ well… That was our business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	9. Eight - Pink Hearts, Polyjuice and Petrifications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellen experiences three firsts: her first Christmas at Hogwarts (featuring the Golden Trio), her first ever Valentine's gifts, and her first Quidditch win. All overshadowed, of course, by the attack that threatens to shut Hogwarts's doors forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bellen is a genius, Draco is adorable, Blaise is the overprotective big brother everyone needs, Theo is a softie that deserves the world and Daphne is, and forever will be, a queen.

Christmas at Hogwarts wasn’t completely awful all things considered. Blaise and I had received a large sack of Galleons each as an apology from Mother which we stashed carelessly in our trunks for lack of another use for them. Daphne had supplied another group gift in the form of a lipstick that changed colour to perfectly flatter the wearer’s skin tone. The other three girls had provided various sweets and pastries again which I happily shared with Blaise and Draco, somehow forgetting to set any aside for Crabbe and Goyle who were still in bed at the time.

Theo didn’t disappoint, gifting me yet another book on more complex spell smithy which seemed to be an unrelated continuation to his previous gift to me. Draco’s present was an ornamental hair pin shaped like a long swooping quill and made of delicate ivory. He looked smug when I smiled and marvelled over the accessory before tucking it carefully back into its padded box. Blaise decided to meet in the middle between sentimentality and practicality and bought me a pair of gold earrings shaped like Fudge Flies. I got Blaise an albino peacock feather quill to match his current full colour one as well as a box of Peppermint Toads.

After sorting through our mound of presents we retreated to our respective dorms to dress for the day, heading down to the Great Hall for a large hot breakfast before spending the morning and a few hours of the afternoon playing in the snow. Once the two apes joined us we split off into teams, Blaise and I versus Draco and his cronies, and though they had superior power we had been working in tandem for our whole lives and quickly overcame their brute force to leave them slumped gasping in the snow.

Draco had sulked while we trooped back into the castle for lunch but overall wasn’t too insufferable as we ate, perking up when Blaise suggested a wizard’s chess tournament in the common room while I worked through Theo’s book. He eagerly ushered us back down to the dungeons where we wiled away the afternoon with our own forms of entertainment, all sprawled out in front of the fire and completely relaxed for the first time I could remember. Crabbe and Goyle were busy pigging out on sweets and the two boys were so focused on their chess that I was the one to pack up first and drag them all off for Christmas dinner.

The Great Hall looked particularly resplendent and even though Dumbledore saw fit to conduct us in a series of carols it was still a very enjoyable meal. The entire Weasley clan along with Potter and Granger were clustered together at the Gryffindor table and were making by far the most noise out of anyone in the Hall. Draco seemed eager to come in a close second however with his pointed remarks about Potter’s knitted jumper which seemed to be a present from the Weasley’s.

Draco, Blaise and I reached our limit after nearly two hours although the other two were still going strong, so with silent looks of exasperation we unanimously agreed to head back down to the common room without them. Ares swooped into the Entrance Hall through an open window before we could descend into the dungeons however, a letter attached to his leg and snow coating his brown wings.

Draco carefully detached the letter while Ares hooted softly and leaned over to nibble at my sleeve until I gave in and stroked the spoiled animal. He flew off once the letter was free and we continued down to the common room as Draco carefully worked his way through the letter, plucking a separate slip of parchment from the back of the sheaf and reading that while a vindictive look of pleasure overtook his pale face.

“Look at this!” He waved the paper in our faces and I plucked it from his hand to read the headline. “The Weasley’s have been fined fifty Galleons; I imagined that cleaned out their entire Gringotts vault! Father cut it from the paper this morning and sent it up, this is the best Christmas present he’s ever given me.”

“Hopefully this will shut Weasley up. If I have to hear another joke about the size of my head, I will disfigure him so horribly that his broken wand will be the least of his worries.” I sniffed and handed the clipping back to Draco who held it out for Blaise to skim over. “Anyway, if you don’t hurry up your pieces will reset and you’ll have to break your tie some other way.”

The boys were eager to continue their chess match from where they left off and I had been halfway through a transcription so we jumped right back into our previous moods and activities without preamble. The newspaper article lay forgotten on the sofa beside me as Draco finally straightened with a victorious smirk, lording his win over my brother until he noticed the time on the clock hung above the fireplace.

“Are Crabbe and Goyle _still_ eating? I’m going to go get them, they need to see this article and if they’re not careful they’ll get caught on the way back here by some teacher and lose us points. See you in a moment.” We waved Draco off and I took his departure as signal for a welcome break, setting my book and parchment down with a groan as I worked the slight stiffness out of my neck.

“I’m going to put the chess set away,” Blaise yawned, stretching like a cat next to me before relaxing with a pleased sigh. “I might write to Mother as well and send the letter off tomorrow morning.”

“Give her my love. And make sure to write a note to Dippy from us and make sure she liked the bauble.” I leaned in and pecked Blaise on the cheek before he sat up and swept the remnants of the chess set together and plopped them haphazardly inside the folding board while I grabbed my writing materials again. “Put those fragments away properly Blaise! You forget and then complain every single time when you go to play and the pieces haven’t fixed themselves.”

“Yes yes gemella, I’ll do it in my room.” My brother rolled his eyes good naturedly and kissed me on the forehead before picking up the folded chess board and his wand before heading off to the dorms. I stayed curled up on the sofa, absently brushing the vane of my quill over my cheek in the gaps I took from writing to reread my transcription and ensure it made complete sense. It took quite a while for Draco to return but when he did his bodyguards were in tow; even if they looked a bit shiftier than usual.

“-my father’s just sent it to me,” Draco was saying as he made his way over, plopping down into the seat on my left and reaching over me to nab the cutting while Crabbe and Goyle lowered themselves onto the sofa opposite. “That’ll give you a laugh.”

Crabbe’s eyes widened in shock as he read before giving a very stiff chuckle, handing the parchment off to Goyle while his hands curled into fists. Goyle looked just as surprised as he laughed weakly and I felt my eyebrows furrow very slightly: Crabbe and Goyle weren’t the type to show much emotion. Their four settings were plain neutrality, blind rage, utter bewilderment, or brutish glee. They simply didn’t have the critical thinking capacity for much else.

“Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go join them,” mused Draco spitefully. “You’d never know the Weasley’s were purebloods, the way they behave- What’s up with you Crabbe?”

“Er, stomache ache.” Crabbe grunted, the scrunched expression of what seemed like anger shifting into something a little closer to pain. I slowly continued my note taking as Draco shifted next to me, slinging an arm along the back of the sofa and propping his right leg up with his left while he snickered.

“Well, go up to the Hospital Wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me-”

“Draco.” I hummed absently in warning and I could practically hear his eyeroll.

“Yes Bellen, apologies for damaging your delicate sensibilities. Anyway, I’m surprised the Daily Prophet hasn’t reported all these attacks yet. I suppose Dumbledore’s trying to hush it all up; he’ll be sacked if it doesn’t stop soon. Father’s always said Dumbledore’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to this place. He loves Muggleborns. A decent Headmaster would never have let slime like that Creevey in.” Draco sat up to begin taking imaginary pictures, voice going squeaky in a comically accurate impression of the Gryffindor boy. “Potter, can I have your picture Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes please Potter?”

It was a little tasteless considering Creevey’s current state but it was funny all the same and I nudged him playfully in the side as I fixed him with a firm stare to curb the teasing before it could continue. The strained silence from the boys opposite drew our attention and I felt Draco stiffen and fall silent as he didn’t get the reaction he wanted. He really was a bit of a spoiled brat sometimes, but this _was_ extremely out of character for the two idiots.

“What’s the _matter_ with you two?” They started slightly and laughed in tandem although it died out too quickly for it to come off as genuine, but Draco seemed appeased and carried on with his own tangent. “Saint Potter, the Mudbloods’ friend…” He paused for a moment and I stopped writing again, more than willing to intervene if he segued into another uncouth rant. “He’s another one with no proper wizard feeling or he wouldn’t go around with that jumped up Granger Mudblood-”

“Draco!” I hissed, slamming my book closed and casting it onto the empty seat beside me. “Watch your language or I swear to Salazar I’ll throw your trunk into the Lake and the whole House can watch your possessions drift past the windows in the morning.”

“Alright alright, touchy!” Draco huffed and cast me a dark look while Crabbe and Goyle looked completely floored but not in their usual empty way, and I sneered at them before settling back into the plush upholstery while Draco continued. “But people really think _Potter’s_ Slytherin’s heir… I _wish_ I knew who it is, I would happily help them.”

“You must have some idea who’s behind it all!” Goyle pressed while Crabbe sat gobsmacked and stared at Draco as if he had announced he would be moving into Gryffindor Tower forthwith. My gaze flittered between the two boys, an uncomfortable feeling settling itself at home in my gut. Goyle sounded far too articulate even though he was arguably the more capable of the duo and Crabbe was taking far too much interest in the conversation. If I didn’t know better I would say that someone had completely replaced the pair while they hung back in the Hall-

“You know I haven’t Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you!” Draco bit out, grey eyes fixed on Goyle and I copied him, eyes roving over him and Crabbe while the blond next to me carried on impatiently. “And Father won’t tell me anything about the last time the Chamber was opened either. Of course, it was fifty years ago so it was before his time but he knows all about it, and he says it was all kept quiet and it’ll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing: last time the Chamber was opened, a Muggleborn _died_. So I bet it’s only a matter of time before one of them’s killed this time… I hope it’s Granger.”

“D’you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?” _Goyle’s robes are clean – and Crabbe’s – even though I distinctly remember them having egg yolk smeared over their lapels from breakfast and drips of gravy down their front at dinner_.

“Oh yeah, whoever it was was expelled. They’re probably still in Azkaban.”

“Azkaban?” Goyle parroted and my eyes narrowed even further. _Goyle is far too curious and well spoken, Crabbe looks incensed instead of pleased by the mention of Granger dying, they’ve both been acting far out of character since they walked in. Could someone really be impersonating them-?_

“Azkaban? The _wizard prison_ Goyle? Honestly, if you were any slower you’d be going backwards.” Draco scoffed with another eyeroll and I knew he was too riled up to have noticed any oddities; even if he weren’t remarkably self-absorbed when it came to interacting with those he deemed inferior in the first place. “Father says to keep my head down and let the heir of Slytherin get on with it. He says the school needs ridding of all the Mud- Muggleborn filth but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he’s got a lot on his plate at the moment.

“You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week?” Draco wondered rhetorically and I saw interest spark in Crabbe and Goyle’s faces before it morphed into a stunted look of concerned interest. “Yeah… Luckily they didn’t find much. Father’s got some _very_ valuable Dark Arts stuff. But luckily we’ve got our own secret chamber under-”

“Draco, we don’t need to hear you bragging about your stuffy old artefacts for the hundredth time,” I drawled, fixing a teasing smirk on my face as he turned to me incredulously. Merlin help him if he revealed anything incriminating in front of these two potential imposters. “We know, your father is filthy rich and has all sorts of-”

“Ugh-!” Crabbe leapt to his feet followed closely by Goyle, faces crumpled into expressions of intense discomfort even as their faces seemed to warp slightly before my eyes- “Medicine for my stomach!” I blinked hard but before I had time to process anything else, the two had whirled and sprinted for the door.

“What did they _eat_ -?”

“One minute Draco, I’ll be right back!” I patted him on the leg as I sprung to my feet, racing after the two and slipping out into the hallway right before the door to the common room slid shut behind them.

My wand was out in my hand with a sharp flick and I followed the frantic slapping of shoes on stone, rounding the corner and catching sight of the pair who were now significantly smaller; swamped in Crabbe and Goyle’s robes and stumbling in their shoes. One was dark haired and one was unmistakably ginger and I felt a thrill of vindictive pleasure as I realised my instincts had been correct. I lifted my wand and with remarkable aim, cast at their retreating backs.

“Immobulus! Expelliarmus!”

Potter slammed to a stop and his wand flew out of his hand before Weasley could even turn around to confront me. His eyes widened and he brought his wand up but I had already sent a second Disarm his way, the battered stick tearing out of his hand to clatter to the floor beside Potter’s where I easily scooped them up.

“Well well boys…” I smirked at the two as I inched closer, revelling in their expressions of panic as they realised just how much trouble they were potentially in. “Fancy seeing you down here.”

“What do you want?” spat Weasley, putting up a brave front even as he gulped and took a shuffling step backwards. “Just get it over with, whatever you’re gonna do.”

“Polyjuice Potion I take it? Highly illegal you know, let alone fiddly to brew even at the best of times,” I carried on as if I hadn’t heard him. “I suppose Granger handled the heavy lifting while you two rushed in half cocked?”

“Yeah, so what?” Potter demanded, eyes burning like green fire through the gloom. “We got what we wanted from you!”

“Really? Anyone could have told you that Draco wasn’t the heir of Slytherin, Potter. I’m sure Granger already had her doubts. So what else of value did you actually learn?” There was a tense pause and I tutted quietly, shaking my head in pity. “As I thought. So, where did you stash the real idiots?”

“…In a broom cupboard.” Weasley was barely audible but I let out a snort when I processed his words. “What’s so funny?”

“Hm? Oh nothing, I just didn’t realise how gullible they were if you two managed to get them out of play and keep them there for this long. Obviously I’m going to have to go straight to Snape if they wind up getting caught and losing Slytherin points, I hope you understand boys.” I pitched their wands back to them and they caught them seemingly on autopilot as they gaped at me.

“Go straight to- But- You’re not going to tell on us?” Potter spluttered while Weasley just gawped beside him.

“As much as I relish the thought, no. You two will probably get yourselves expelled at the rate you’re going, and if not- Well, maybe someone will figure out what this creature of the Chamber is once and for all. Deaths are unsavoury, whatever the blood purity of the victim. But I’m warning you both now; try something like this again and you won’t get so lucky.” They nodded hurriedly and I returned the gesture crisply with a smug smile. “You can thank Granger for this one. Now run along.”

They shot each other incredulous looks before turning tail and scarpering, the scuffle and smack of their footsteps eventually fading out into silence. I spun on my heel and made my way back to the common room to find Draco still sitting by the fire and waiting for me.

“What was that all about?” He was clearly frustrated and I dropped back down onto the sofa next to him with a small sigh.

“Just making sure they used the back corridors to get to the Hospital Wing. They don’t need to be losing points of top of everything else. Plus, they did look pretty awful; I wouldn’t be surprised if Pomfrey knocks them out so they can sleep whatever it is off. Knowing them, they won’t remember anything that happened after dinner.”

“I suppose you’re right, the greedy pigs.” Draco chuckled next to me and smiled in amusement when I cut him off unintentionally with a loud yawn. “Go on to bed, I’ll tell your brother goodnight for you.”

“But we were going to test those new jinxes that we found-”

“We can do that another night Bellen. Get some sleep.” Draco gathered up my book and writing materials to hand off to me while I pouted in a token show of resistance, finally pulling myself off the sofa when I was slammed with yet another yawn.

“Fine then, I’ll see you tomorrow. Night Draco.”

“Goodnight Bellen.”

I left him with a sleepy smile and wave, heading back into my empty dorm room and taking my time to put my things away and get ready for bed. Even with the unforeseen excitement from Potter and Weasley and the slight complication I had added to my life by covering for them, the day had been a good one. My debt to Granger had been repaid in full if not generously overshot and I was proud of myself for being observant and alert enough to pick up on the small signs that had signalled things not being all that they appeared. I climbed under the warm sheets with a satisfied smile and a feeling of security and self-confidence that had been missing for weeks.

The rest of the holidays passed quickly between mine and Draco’s extracurricular activities and my subsequent desire to document and learn as many spells as I could manage. Granger had been sequestered away in the Hospital Wing for the remainder of Christmas break and well into term time, which everyone clearly thought was the result of another attack but I suspected had something to do with the common and complex side effects of an incorrectly ingested Polyjuice potion.

Carrying on our practice sessions was far riskier now with the return of the prefects and the increase in teacher patrols so Draco and I only managed to meet once every two or three weeks, but that didn’t stop us discussing ideas the same way we had been over the holidays. We were also disrupted by the continuation of Quidditch practices and more often than not I would spend only an hour in the common room after dinner before falling into bed and passing out cold.

February bled seamlessly from the end of January with the emergence of tentative blue skies and the glitter of frost and dew on grass, the patches of weak sunlight breaking through thick cloud cover more than welcome after months of dismal weather. Although the change in luck unfortunately seemed to bring with it a change in Lockhart who had recovered his previous confidence in the form of a dismal idea to replace the unwelcome weather.

On Friday twelfth we walked into the Great Hall only to find it absolutely plastered in a hideous shade of pink with red and white confetti hearts falling from the enchanted ceiling in a manner reminiscent of the Charmed snow that fell during the Christmas period; except the confetti was Charmed abysmally and fell in food and drink and mouths with infuriating frequency.

“I swear I will hex him bald…” I hissed into my goblet as I narrowly avoided swallowing a soggy lump of paper for the sixth time. “What was Dumbledore thinking, hiring _him_ of all people?”

“He clearly wasn’t,” Daphne sniffed, sneering as she brushed more confetti off her croissant. “I would honestly rather Quirinus Quirrel and his infernal stuttering.”

“Don’t jinx it!” groaned Draco with his head propped up in his hands. “We’ll end up with worse than Lockhart next year if you keep banging on about it.”

“I don’t think it could be any worse than this-” As if prompted by my words, the man himself jumped up and waved his arms for silence while he beamed around at the Hall at large. Snape looked particularly unimpressed with the proceedings and even Professor McGonagall seemed likely to hex the flamboyant wizard at the drop of a hat.

“Happy early Valentine’s Day; and may I thank the forty six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all to last over the weekend until the big day itself. And it doesn’t end here!” Lockhart clapped and a series of very annoyed looking dwarves trailed into the room from the Entrance Hall. “My friendly card-carrying cupids! They will be roving around the school delivering your Valentines in time for the big day on Sunday!”

“I feel like this is offensive in multiple different ways,” I giggled quietly, watching as the dwarves struck various poses with their ridiculous wings, bows, and put-upon expressions. “Charming, isn’t he?”

The entire school was abuzz when we eventually finished our disastrous breakfasts and spilled out of the Hall for our first lessons of the day. Double Charms was an experience. Hannah Abbott decided to take Lockhart’s advice on asking about Entrancing Enchantments and poor Professor Flitwick toppled backwards off his stack of books with a squeak of indignation; my quick Cushioning Charm saved him a nasty bump and earned Slytherin twenty points. Our first encounter with one of the dwarves was during History of Magic right after break. Binns kept droning on obliviously as usual while the entire class perked up swivelled in their seats to watch the ugly cupid’s approach.

“Got a card and choc’lates for one Miss B Zabini,” the dwarf announced loudly and I fought back the startled flush as every eye in the class snapped to me. Blaise looked livid as I warily raised my hand a little in acknowledgement, Theo looked wildly amused, Draco looked like he had swallowed something unpleasant and Daphne looked extremely excited. The dwarf waddled over and passed me a large red box and a dainty white envelope. “Here y’are.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, casting a quick look at Binns to make sure he was occupied before I set my gift down and began to open the card. “I wonder who sent this?”

“Who would want to send you a Valentine?” Blaise blustered, grimacing slightly at my unamused glare before leaning in to try and read over my shoulder when I finally opened the card. “What does it say?”

“’Dear Bellen, my favourite snake, make sure to keep filling that pretty head of yours with handy spells. Sincerely, an Admirer’. Well, that’s certainly unconventional.” I smiled slightly and handed the card off to Daphne who could barely contain herself. Ignoring the few Ravenclaws who were still watching me rather than making notes, I pulled the lid off the chocolate box and beamed when I saw the white chocolate truffles nestled carefully inside. “Whoever it is clearly knows me; that or they have a scarily accurate method of finding out my personal preferences.”

“I don’t like it.” Blaise was squinting in distrust at the box and I leaned over with a laugh to peck his cheek.

“You’re my big brother gemello, I’m not expecting you to. Besides, it’s sweet but far too cheesy for me to take seriously. Now come on, let’s try to round up these notes before we need to leave for Potions.” Everyone sighed in unison but picked up their quills, while Daphne handed my card back to me so I could pack both gifts carefully into my schoolbag.

We all traipsed down to the dungeons at the end of the period and made it through the first half of the Potions double without incident, until of course the cupid dwarves finally made their appearance. Snape’s face seemed to freeze over more and more with each interruption and by the fourth I was certain he would be enthusiastically hexing whoever next walked through the door. Luckily the rest of lesson continued calmly after Draco, Daphne and I had accepted our gifts. He had received two separate boxes of chocolate (one of which I highly suspected was from Pansy) while Daphne and I had received a singular white rose along with generic cards all round.

Lunch was a welcome relief even if the loud colours did start to press on the eyes after several minutes and I was happy to retreat to the Library for an afternoon of yet more self-study. The rest of the weekend continued in this fashion leaving Blaise, Draco, Daphne, Theo and I with at least one card or gift from some secret admirer or other. Davis had received one from some Ravenclaw although she absolutely refused to say who so Daphne and I backed off and left her to her secret. And then just as suddenly as it had come, Valentine’s Day and the thematic decorations had disappeared and the end of February drew closer.

Our second Quidditch match of the year was against Ravenclaw on the twentieth and it was a sign of his confidence in our victory that Flint was back on friendly terms with me, if only to remind me of our newest manoeuvre. I was sure I would start hearing his voice in my dreams soon and so I tried to avoid him at all costs, scowling coolly when I noticed Pucey’s amused eyes on me in anticipation of my great escapes.

The day dawned bright and clear, perfect playing conditions and Flint could not stop waxing lyrical about our luck on the way down to the pitch. He had me cast my usual barrage of Impervius Charms on the off chance a bank of clouds decided to roll in at the speed of knots and empty their contents over the grounds but I needn’t have bothered. The wind was crisp, the sun just on the right side of lukewarm and the match was a breeze. We were up eighty to Ravenclaw’s ten when I spotted the Snitch shadowing me down by my left boot.

Whistling to Pucey and giving him a covert thumbs up, I began making absent drifting turns to pull myself away from the thick of the action while Pucey and Flint made several aggressive runs on goal. They drew a majority of the attention and by the time I had drifted close enough to Draco for him to meet my eyes, it was too late. I pointed down at the Snitch and he shot forwards at top speed, whistling past me only inches away as the golden ball finally realised it had been herded and darted for freedom. But by the time Lee Jordan had begun to commentate on the change Draco was already lifting his hand in the air with the Snitch caged firmly in his grip.

The Slytherin stands had erupted and I laughed wildly as Draco streaked back over to me, throwing his arm round my shoulders and whooping as the team converged on us and we all sunk sloppily back to the turf. Dell and Lee had hoisted Draco up onto their shoulders and I barely had time to snicker at his affronted expression before Pucey was hauling me up to be suspended between him and Flint while a quarter of the school chanted our names.

Public opinion of me had made a complete turnaround since the events of the previous term; I couldn’t pretend to be oblivious to it when my panic and constant background anxiety had faded into a light buoyant feeling that came with feeling safe, with feeling known, with feeling _revered_. Draco seemed just as pleased and our next few duelling sessions were as fun as they had ever been, both of us laughing between jabs as we tossed new spells at each other and began applying our shaky Shield Charms for the first time.

The Easter holidays crept up on us and it seemed most of the year were transfixed on picking their elective options for the next academic year. Blaise and I spent several evenings curled in one armchair beside the fire while we flicked through various information pamphlets and books that held content in each subject. Draco and Theo were entirely confident with their choices that had taken them all of one evening to decide upon, and were eager to help us walk through the process.

“Care of Magical Creatures seems fascinating,” mused Theo as he twirled his wand through his fingers distractedly. “And I know you have an interest in the subject Bellen. It should be an easy OWL grade as well as being highly diverse and practical.”

“Yes, but Arithmancy will also be useful,” Draco stated firmly. “Especially if you want to go into a high-ranking Ministerial position. Father says only fools overlook Arithmancy and take something soft like Muggle Studies.”

“You’re taking Ancient Runes as well?” I asked curiously, casting my eyes over the list once more. “That seems interesting and I’m right in thinking that it opens up avenues into jobs with particularly old or fiddly spell work, yes? Like Curse-Breaking for instance.”

“Of course,” Draco nodded with a mildly proud look on his face. “You have to think smart and plan ahead when choosing your subjects. I was thinking about taking up Alchemy for NEWTs and Father says I should keep my options as open as possible, hence Arithmancy _and_ Runes, even if they both are quite heavy subjects.”

“I don’t think I could stomach CoMC, not on top of Herbology.” Blaise wrinkled his nose and the gesture somehow came across as regal, but it didn’t stop my amused huff and accompanying eyeroll. “Then again I think Runes would make me want to stick my head in a cauldron so I might have to put up with it.”

“I promise to help you out gemello,” I laughed and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Draco and Theo were so used to the gesture from us by now that they didn’t even waste time pulling faces anymore. “As long as I have unlimited access to your Charms homework.”

“Deal.” He smirked and pecked my cheek too before turning back to fill out his chosen subjects; CoMC, Arithmancy and Divination. I smiled and filled out my own form only a moment later, replacing Blaise’s choice of Divination with Ancient Runes and feeling all the more pleased for it.

The holidays had made themselves scarce quickly enough and in the lull in homework I had settled myself into a table in the common room looking out into the glowing green of the Lake, revelling in the quiet since most of the school seemed to be out in the stadium for Gryffindor’s match with Hufflepuff. I was in the middle of practising the Shoe-Sticking Hex when the door to the common room slid open and a flood of students bundled inside, seemingly never ending as they all whispered and hissed amongst themselves: some looking apprehensive, others almost vindictive.

“Reglutino.” The counter-hex was accompanied by a swirling gesture with my wand at my feet before I jumped out of my chair, catching my brother’s eyes as he appeared through the doorway and waving him over. He was followed by the rest of the second years and I dropped back into my seat as they all crowded on or around the table looking unusually grim. “What happened?”

“They called off the match,” explained Daphne, mouth pulled down slightly in a worried frown. “Someone else has been attacked.”

“It’s definitely a Muggleborn. Let’s hope they’ve been killed off at least.” Draco’s tone was light but I was too distracted to acknowledge his avoidance of his favoured slur.

“Who is it? Where-?”

“We know as much as you do…” Theo muttered from my left. He didn’t look overly apprehensive but he seemed just a touch more detached than usual. Blaise had just opened his mouth to chime in when the common room suddenly fell silent, all of us swivelling round for the cause and finding Professor Snape sweeping in to stand by the fireplace where he was visible to every eye in the room.

“Is everyone present?” His voice commanded attention and action amongst our House as well as the others who feared him, and a handful of students hurried off to dorm rooms to gather their errant friends. Snape waited patiently until of us were gathered and the room was quiet enough to hear the faint whispering of lake water flowing past the windows before he began speaking. “As you know, there has been another attack. As such the Headmaster has seen fit to implement rules that apply to the entire student body… _no_ _exceptions_.

“All students shall return from dinner to their common rooms by six o’clock in the evening, after which there will be no nightly excursions for any reason. All further extracurricular activities are hereby cancelled or postponed, including Quidditch. You will be escorted to your lessons by a teacher and no one is to visit the bathrooms unaccompanied by a member of staff. It goes without saying that Hogwarts will likely be shut down by the Board of Governors if these attacks continue unchecked. I therefore advise that anyone with any information make themselves known in the coming days.”

The silence in the room was deafening and Snape cast his dark gaze over the room once before turning on his heel and striding from the room with a flourish of his pitch-black robes. Quiet reigned for a solid second before hissed whispers broke out across the room like Fiendfyre. Daphne looked slightly shellshocked and even Bulstrode’s eyebrows were scrunched together in something that looked like concern.

“So that’s it then,” Pansy breathed, eyes fixed on the closing common room doorway before she blinked and refocused on us. “If they don’t catch the Heir then, what, they kick us all out to be home schooled?”

“It seems that way.” I shook my head with a weary sigh and began gathering my things together. “I hope whoever this Heir is- I hope they get caught.”

“What?” All eyes moved to Draco and he gaped back at me in sheer confusion. “They’re continuing Slytherin’s work-”

“At the expense of our education? Our futures? Our lives?” I scoffed angrily while I stacked up my books and messy sheaves of parchment. “I don’t care how weak or unworthy Muggleborns are, I never signed up to hand over my life so a few children could be injured and killed. It won’t make a difference to Wizarding Britain as a whole so _what_ is the point? The Heir is a selfish short-sighted coward and I hope to Merlin that Dumbledore and the Ministry come down on them with the fury of a thousand suns.”

The small group around the table seemed shocked into silence and I schooled my face into cool indifference as I stood, arms full of my belongings as I inclined my head towards my friends and brother before sweeping away from the table in an exit that rivalled Snape’s only a few minutes prior. Maybe it was melodramatic, maybe I was indulging in a brief temper tantrum since I had no other way to vent my frustrations, but I was totally fine with that.

I let my things tumble from my arms and fall in a disorganised heap inside my trunk before falling into bed and drawing the hangings shut. They encased me in a close greenish gloom and I felt my teeth grind together as I gripped a pillow and buried my face in the cool softness. I wouldn’t cry but that didn’t stop my need to hide away from the world for a moment. Everything was falling apart and I had no idea how to stop it. And as much as it rankled to realise it, I found myself rooting for Harry Potter and his band of meddlesome Gryffindors to uncover the truth and come to the rescue yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	10. Nine - Meet the Malfoys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery of the Chamber of Secrets is finally resolved with Bellen and the rest of the Slytherins reluctantly heading home to conclude another year at Hogwarts. The twins' holiday plans are disrupted however by the whims of Lucius Malfoy and his wife is quick to step in when Bellen and Blaise are separated for the first time in their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the end of CoS! Can't wait to be finally posting PoA chapters but in the meantime I hope you like the official introduction of Narcissa; I already know she's shaping up to be one of my favourites. Excited for your feedback~

The Muggleborn turned out to be Granger.

It wasn’t too hard to work out on the Monday when she was missing from Potions and Potter and Weasley spent the whole day walking around as if in a state of shock. Some Ravenclaw Prefect had also been found Petrified with Granger and was confined to the Hospital Wing which was barred from all visitors. Madam Pomfrey had closed off the very back of the long ward for the Petrified students, secured by thick folding screens, and any new unrelated cases were kept under close watch in the beds closest to the doors.

The castle was suffocated by an air of apprehension and thinly contained panic, the students and ghosts looking just as grim as the teachers did as we hustled between classes or meals. The sudden suspension of Dumbledore and the removal of Hagrid had mixed effects. Many people seemed tentatively hopeful that Hagrid was somehow the culprit and that Hogwarts wouldn’t need to be closed, but the absence of the Headmaster elevated fear to new heights. If the most powerful wizard of our time was now absent then what if the attacks continued; what if someone _died_ this time?

Draco had seemed ticked off by the increase in security and the loss of our duelling sessions but the removal of both Dumbledore and Hagrid on top of the attack on Granger seemed to buoy his mood to the point that he seemed to be the only student in the school capable of smiling. He swanned through the halls as if he were untouchable, and while technically true it drew a lot of highly troublesome attention to our House. Tensions were already high and with the looks many Gryffindors were shooting the blond I felt that hexes would have already been flying if not for the presence of the teachers.

I felt lost, worried and set adrift as I made myself accept the reality of Hogwarts closing. Daphne and Blaise had taken it upon themselves to try to lighten the mood, to keep us all focused on mundane problems to escape the looming threat of another attack and its consequences, but I found myself distinctly numb to their attempts. Theo seemed similarly unconvinced and could be found with his head in a book more often than not and though he was never the liveliest of our group, he seemed more withdrawn than I had ever seen him. I quickly found myself in a similar state: losing myself in spells and revision and reading at any available moment, quill in my hand or hair at any one time and smudges of ink staining my skin with alarming frequency.

Professor McGonagall’s announcement that exams were to continue as scheduled was a source of hysteria and fury for many but I accepted the news with a freeing kind of relief. It was something to do, something to throw myself into and lose my thoughts in, it gave me an excuse to withdraw to my four poster and draw the curtains and avoid conversation as much as possible. Without the release of flying or duelling or practising spells in a safe space, I found my nerves were frayed and my head scattered. But books and notes and learning were safe, I could count on the certainty of the information and my own intelligence and diligence to see me safely through the task.

Blaise and I seemed to gravitate towards and around each other like moons; sitting by the other even if we had nothing to speak about, gripping the other’s hand tightly in a quiet moment, quietly cajoling each other into eating properly, sharing Blaise’s bed on the nights when sleep wouldn’t come and holding each other close into the early hours before I snuck back off to my dorm. We both received more letters from Mother in those few weeks than we had in all our time at school and I could tell even Salazar was tired of all the back-and-forthing between Berkshire and the Highlands.

And then came the announcement that the Mandrakes were finally ready for harvesting and that all the Petrified victims could be restored to health. All previous thoughts that Dumbledore was returning or that the Heir had somehow been caught in the interim were discarded as the news sunk in. It spread a ripple of relief and excitement through the entire school for multiple reasons.

Firstly, if the Petrifications could be reversed then it seemed to be a common belief that any future attacks would not be deemed serious enough to close the school: a foolishly optimistic but understandable outlook. The common consensus however was that at least one of the victims must have seen who or what attacked them and thus be able to inform the teachers; then either the teachers or the Ministry would be able to step in and neutralise the danger in one way or another.

I was highly unconvinced by both theories and simply contented myself with the knowledge that no lasting damage would come to the students. The atmosphere in the castle seemed significantly lighter for the rest of the morning and there was a palpable sense of relief in the air as we were herded from lesson to lesson. And then, right around the time the bell should have rung out across the castle to signal break, came the announcement.

“ _All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please._ ”

“Not another attack surely-?” Daphne murmured weakly from her seat next to me, but judging by the serious faces of the older students in the Library as they began collecting their things together it seemed as though that was exactly what had happened. I gave her hand a comforting squeeze and met Blaise’s eyes with a small frown before standing up and gathering my books and parchment into my bag.

We filed our way down through the castle and into the dungeons back to the common room where we were greeted by the rest of the second years clustered around a study table in the corner, heads bent together and muttering under their breaths.

“This is it,” Pansy spoke up a little as we squeezed into the little free space to join them. “This is the end of Hogwarts isn’t it?”

“Looks like it.” Theo confirmed grimly with a small nod. “They’ll probably be sending us all home first thing tomorrow.”

Not even a quarter of an hour later our fears were proved true as Professor Snape swept into the room to break the news in a flat tone. The room stayed silent in the moments after his exit before everyone broke out into whispered conversation. The entire House seemed sombre and quiet, eyes low and voices lower as people filed in and out of dorm rooms and shuffled carefully for a place to settle down for the rest of the day since classes were cancelled.

Even Draco looked more serious than usual; where I had expected him to be fairly pleased with another Muggleborn falling victim to the Heir, it seemed the reality of Hogwarts closing had finally hit home and now he was just as dismayed as the rest of us, if not more. Crabbe and Goyle had wandered off to the boys’ room and Theo had followed only to return with a thick tome which he kept his head buried in while the rest of us pulled up chairs and armchairs to get comfortable.

Pansy and Bulstrode kept to themselves, Davis slipped off to talk to her brother and Blaise followed Theo’s example by heading off to retrieve his chess set which he and Draco set up to begin a match. Daphne seemed a little lost and wan so I took pity on her and pulled her into a chair next to mine, pulling out my catalogue of spells and running her through some of the basics while I attempted to master the Glass Shattering Charm in its entirety. Once I successfully shattered an empty vase into pieces, I repaired it and moved onto creating controlled hairline cracks across the surface before I was happy with my grasp on the spell and moved on to the next one.

Food was sent down to us around noon but outside of that event there was no more news or traffic in or out of the common room. Hours slipped by and people milled around in states of shock or concern or sheer tooth aching boredom, and the pale green glow from the Lake water behind the windows gradually shifted to a muted stretch of colour as the light faded above ground and the depths of the Lake grew dark once again.

People began filing into their rooms to pack or simply get away from the vaguely forced calm of the common room leaving most of us second years and a smattering of other students to spread out a little more in the hushed gloom. Again, food was sent down around dinnertime but there was no real change in the atmosphere. The dungeon seemed to be suspended in a timeless bubble while we all just waited for something or someone to come along and break us free of it.

And eventually someone did.

Pretty much everyone in the upper years had packed up and turned in for the night while the rest of us had changed into our pyjamas and night clothes before sitting back to talk amongst ourselves. That someone came in the form of Professor Snape yet again, sweeping in through the common room door to announce that suddenly the student who had been attacked (Ginny Weasley, taken down into the Chamber itself) had been saved (presumably with the help of Potter and Weasley) and that the Heir was no more. There was a rush of confused and hysterical commotion as the news spread and it was announced that a feast was being held in the Great Hall to celebrate the end of the Heir’s reign of terror and the restoration of the Petrified victims.

There was a surge for the door, our nervous energy collectively being released in a swell of motion and restless chatter as we all streamed out into the corridor and headed for the steps leading up into the main school. Blaise caught my hand and hurried along beside me, sharing a grin as our friends quickly caught up to us and we ascended into the Entrance Hall as a tight knit group of hopefuls.

That night’s feast was one for the ages: the entire school including many of the staff were pyjama clad and sleep ruffled as chatter filled the Great Hall and another round of food made itself home in our bellies. Draco pretended to be put out by the restoration of the Petrified students and the downfall of the Heir in his usual self-conceited manner but there was a soft glint in those grey eyes that belied his quiet relief.

The teachers seemed to have no concern about upholding the pretence of any semblance of curfew anymore and all the better for it; Hagrid made an unsuccessfully discreet entrance to the festivities at long gone three in the morning to much cheering from the Gryffindor table in particular. We all talked and ate and laughed and talked some more until finally the first rays of sun slipped through the high arching windows and the teachers finally shooed us all off to bed.

The cancellation of the end of year exams came as a disappointment to a select few, myself and Draco included, and so the last few days of term were spent in a dream-like state of relief and lessons cobbled together more through need for activity than anything necessary; with the marked absence of Lockhart much to my vindictive pleasure. Then at last we had packed up our belongings ready for the trip back to King’s Cross Station to conclude yet another year at Hogwarts.

Our journey to London sped by all too fast, bursting at the seams with promises of more letters than ever before and all the day trips and sleepovers our parents would realistically allow over the ten week holiday, travel plans and weather permitting of course. Theo was the first to leave our group, grasping hands with Blaise and myself before giving us all one final nod and disappearing into the crowd on the platform.

Daphne was next, eyes teary as she hugged my brother and I in turn before offering Draco a forlorn wave as she was swept off by her equally pretty younger sister Astoria and their vacant looking mother. Mrs Malfoy seemingly materialised from the throng only seconds later, extending a hand expectantly towards Draco while giving Blaise and I polite smiles and a seemingly approving once over.

“Have a good holiday.” said Blaise with a nod and handshake and Draco responded in kind before turning to me and offering his hand expectantly. I rolled my eyes and stepped in to give him a quick but firm hug, stepping back and dipping my head slightly more appropriately in a gesture of farewell. The blond seemed slightly flustered, glancing back over his shoulder at his mother who seemed to be biting back a smile as she intently studied the still puffing steam train to our right.

“Yes, well… See you.” Draco straightened his clothes and nodded with finality before gathering his trunk and Ares’s empty cage and retreating to his mother’s side. She gave us both one last barely perceptible smile before they both Disapparated with a pop.

Mother made her appearance after a few minutes, pulling us into a tight hug before gathering us and our belongings together for Side-Along Apparition back to the estate. Dippy was on us before we could even catch our bearings, large tears rolling down her leathery face as she flung her arms round our legs and tried to stifle her hiccoughing sobs.

“Y-Young sir and mi-miss is home _safe_!” wailed the distraught house elf and Blaise and I shared a look of guilt-ridden panic before dropping to our knees to comfort her. Five very long minutes later Dippy had finally calmed down and gave us each one more fierce hug before busying herself with our trunks and owls, while Mother returned and ushered us through into the parlour to talk over the events of the year and our plans for the holidays.

And that was how we discovered we would be spending a majority of the holidays in completely separate countries. Mother excitedly explained to us over tea and petit fours that Mr Malfoy had important business to conduct in Paris over the summer months and that he would be taking Draco along with him to give his son an insight into the family business. Mr Malfoy was agreeable to bringing a friend along for the duration of the trip and clearly Blaise had been Draco’s first choice.

“Though of course it simply isn’t proper to bring the women along on a business trip, not that you would be even vaguely interested in the first place, _mon bijou_ -!” Mother had cooed and I took a slightly aggressive bite of my raspberry mille feuille to deter myself from vehemently expressing the exact opposite opinion.

She went on to explain how they were scheduled to leave via Portkey in a little over a week’s time and Blaise had several days to decide to before a decision was expected about his attendance. He cast me a slightly unsure glance and I made sure to paint a sunny smile on my face while I nodded encouragingly when Mother’s attention was diverted. At least one of us should be enjoying the summer; I just had to hope Theo and Daphne were serious about planning enough day trips to tide me over until September.

So the first week of the summer, which should have been a time of slovenly activity and relaxation was instead spent repacking the entirety of Blaise’s school trunk with all manner of weather and situation appropriate outfits, some old and some specially purchased. I tried to keep my sulking to myself but I could tell by the mildly guilty grimaces I caught on Blaise’s face when Mother burst into raptures about Mr Malfoy’s generosity for the thousandth time that I wasn’t entirely successful.

On the eve of their departure I was roused from my sleep by an incessant tapping on the glass of the balcony doors. Salazar gave a few hollow sounding coos in warning as I slid out of bed and made my way over, opening the closest door with a yawn only to find my arms suddenly full of soft brown feathers.

“Ares?” I whispered, holding my forearm steady for him to perch upon while I greeted the excited owl with soothing strokes and murmurs. “What have you brought?”

Salazar poked his head out of his cage curiously as I made my way to my desk, lighting my lamp with a gentle prod of my wand before sitting to detach and read the letter from Draco. Ares settled onto my shoulder with a relaxed flutter of his wings and began picking through my curls in his usual gesture of affection.

_Bellen,_

_While it wasn’t exactly within my control, I wanted to apologise properly about you not being able to accompany us to France tomorrow. I know how Father is and I couldn’t have suggested it though I wanted both you and your brother along naturally. I just wanted to ensure you knew that I had no intention of excluding you purposefully. For whatever it might be worth, I value your presence just as much as Blaise’s. I’m sure Nott and Greengrass will be fitting substitutes while we are busy across the Channel._

_I hope you can enjoy your summer nonetheless. Feel free to keep Ares with you until you wish to send a letter to your brother or myself. Apologies if I disturbed your sleep._

_Regards,_

_D.M_

I couldn’t help the slight smile as I pulled a fresh roll of parchment out from my stores and dipped my quill into the inkwell as I thought carefully about my response, carefully rerolling and stowing Draco’s letter away in my drawer to join the others before touching nib to parchment.

_Draco,_

_Though your apology isn’t at all necessary I appreciate it all the same. Of course, I’m disappointed that I cannot be joining you but I’m sure there will be opportunities enough in the future for us to holiday together. Who knows, if this one goes smoothly our parents may decide to band together for a joint trip next summer._

_I’ll make sure to take good care of Ares but you’ll be seeing him again very shortly; someone has to make sure you and Blaise keep your heads while you’re at large on the continent. Make sure Blaise brings me back a souvenir. You are going to be in Paris after all, and if I can’t be there then I want a piece of the city brought back as recompense!_

_I hope you two have a wonderful time, and if I don’t see you upon your return then I look forward to hearing all about it on September first._

_All the best,_

_B.Z_

After fastening the slip of parchment, I coaxed a jealous Salazar from his cage and pressed a light kiss to the feathers above his beak as I carried him over to the bay windows. With a treat and a firm scratch under his right wing accepted as a bribe, he eventually spread his wings and sped off through the doorway and out over the grounds bound for Wiltshire and Malfoy Manor. I set out a bowl of food and water for Ares and Salazar to share as needed before returning back to bed and falling almost immediately into a deep sleep.

The morning was a special type of uncomfortable.

Dippy moved Blaise’s trunk downstairs while we trailed behind and murmured to each other with our heads bent close together and hands clasped tight. Mother was quick to separate us however, sweeping downstairs in a new pair of dress robes and ushering us into position mere seconds before the pop of Apparition reached us from through the thick English oak of the front doors.

Lucius Malfoy was a handsome man and I had plenty of time to mull over this fact as Mother ushered him and Draco inside. The grey eyes were strikingly familiar though colder and harder than the pair I was used to, and Draco’s bone structure was clearly inherited from his father. Lucius’s long platinum hair was pulled back by a black silk ribbon which matched his tailored summer robes perfectly.

“-and this is my daughter Bellen.”

“A pleasure,” Lucius drawled with the faintest upturn of his thin lips as he came to a stop in front of Blaise and I. “To finally meet you at last. I’ve heard much about you from Draco.” He had elegant hold of a sleek black cane with a silver snake head topper and a matching cap at the tip which clacked cleanly as it came to rest atop the warm marble flooring.

“All good things I hope Mr Malfoy.” I offered a demure smile and a dip of my head in acknowledgement, casting my eyes towards Draco for a split second in warning.

“Obviously.” His lips spread a little wider but his eyes remained cold behind the smile and the delivery of that one word made me feel like I was missing some kind of joke: whether flattering or offensive, Merlin only knew. “Now, Blaise, I do hope you are ready to depart. We won’t have long between Flooing to our residence and leaving for our lunch reservations.”

“Of course sir.” Blaise nodded firmly and grabbed the handle of his trunk in preparation.

“Good. Say your goodbyes boys and then we’ll be off.” Lucius waved Draco forwards before retreating a small distance to talk with Mother in a lowered voice. Blaise had immediately pulled me into a tight hug and it took a moment for me to catch up and wrap my arms firmly around him in response.

“I’ll miss you- But I’ll write as often as I can and I’ll be back before you know it, alright?”

“Of course… You’ll have loads of fun I’m sure.” My words were muffled slightly in his shoulder but I felt Blaise nod as he pulled back and kissed me on both cheeks before stepping away completely, a sad smile fixed on his face. I felt my eyes begin to mist up and swiftly turned to Draco, hugging him just as tightly before he could try some handshake nonsense but letting go before it could become awkward or socially inappropriate. “Make sure you don’t start peeling in the sun, albino.”

“As if I would let that happen.” Draco parodied a derisive sneer but I caught the faint smile behind the mocking expression. “Take care of yourself Bellen. And say hello to Nott and Greengrass for me.”

“I will. I’ll keep you both in the loop.” I promised with a small smile, watching as Blaise stepped away to say farewell to Mother while Draco nodded to me before sidestepping to grab hold of Blaise’s trunk.

“Come along then,” pressed Lucius, ushering Blaise and Draco towards the front doors with an imperious sweep of his cane. “Estelle, a pleasure as always. Miss Zabini, I hope the next time we meet we have the good fortune to talk at length. Good day to you both.” The two boys were herded out into the fresh morning air and with a sharp pop of Disapparition, they were gone. Before I could even draw breath, Mother was a flutter of motion once more, shooing me towards the stairs while she called for Dippy in a loud shrill.

“Mrs Malfoy will be here at noon for a light lunch,” she rattled off as she firmly pushed me upstairs and along the hall towards my room while Dippy scurried along on my other side. “I want you to be on your best behaviour and answer any questions she might have for you, _oui ma chérie_?”

“ _Oui Maman_ …”

I kept my complaints to myself for the duration of the torture session, keeping my teeth grit as Mother pulled and twisted my hair into several vaguely painful positions and Dippy used a slew of cosmetics on my face and hands under her mistress’s strict instruction. At the end of it I wasn’t even granted a moment of peace to examine my reflection before I was shoved unceremoniously into a fresh pair of day robes, this time a floatier set in a pretty blue colour, with a delicate white gold brooch pinned over the heart.

“There, now you look like a lady!” Mother cooed, pinching at my cheeks. I only had enough time to send Dippy a despair filled look before I was pulled out of my room and downstairs yet again, one hand gripped in Mother’s cold left while her free hand tugged and smoothed at her own peachy hued robes. “You’ll be dining with us in the parlour and then if Mrs Malfoy has no need for you, you may be excused to return to your room-”

“Yes Mother.” I parroted yet again, stifling a yawn as we hurried into the bright interior of the main parlour. It was a gorgeous room, bathed with sun from the South facing French windows and facing out onto our beautiful flower garden with our owlery just visible beyond the bushes. The parlour was furnished in a careful marriage of French and Italian nineteenth century styles with light but warm woods, a theme of cream and tea green fabrics and an abundance of gold detailing.

Mother gently pushed me down onto one of the loveseats and swept back out of the room presumably to wait in the foyer for Mrs Malfoy to arrive at the front door or in the large fireplace designed for Floo travel. I waited in resigned silence, sending a weary smile Dippy’s way when she appeared at my elbow to deposit a tray laden with plates of fancy finger food and flagons of cool drinks on the low table in front of me.

“Dippy made lots of young miss’s favourites.” The elf patted my knee gently before vanishing with a crack just moments before the distant sound of flames rushing to fill an empty grate floated into the parlour from the open doorway.

“Narcissa!” I heard Mother cry, her exaggeratedly sweet smile tangible in her voice. “So lovely to see you again!”

“Likewise,” came the much quieter reply, voice cool and tone even; the epitome of effortless elegance. “Thank you for having me Estelle.” And Narcissa Malfoy certainly fit that picture as Mother lead her into the parlour. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a sleek chignon, she wore robes of a sheeny dove grey with understated silver and opal jewellery, her face angular and serene, and mouth offset from the pale palette by a bold red lipstick. “And you must be Bellen?”

“Yes, it’s lovely to meet you Mrs Malfoy.” My smile slipped a little at her amused head shake, watching carefully as she settled onto the settee directly opposite from Mother and to the left of me.

“Call me Narcissa, please. Since you are a friend of Draco’s there is no need for formalities.”

“Thank you Narcissa.” I smiled a little more earnestly and I received a small but genuine one in return.

“Narcissa, what would you like to drink? We have water, pumpkin juice, an apple and elderflower cordial, chilled elf wine if you prefer-?” Mother poured on the charm, smile still pasted to her face while she pointed out each and every option that Dippy had provided.

“A cordial would be lovely Estelle, thank you.” Narcissa accepted her requested drink with that same small smile and my focus was broken when Mother sent a glass of chilled pumpkin juice floating over to me while she launched into a torrent of vapid small talk. I let my consciousness drift sideways as I tuned out mentally, happy to let the two women chatter away while I sipped and snacked away quietly; until suddenly I was the topic of said chatter and I refocused with a confused blink.

“-Draco was telling me just the other day that he and Bellen had only just become firm friends but that they had always gotten along fairly well. Was that your experience Bellen?” Narcissa turned her cool gaze upon me with a lukewarm smile to ease her expression and I nodded hurriedly, setting my goblet down carefully as I scrambled for an appropriate response.

“Yes, we didn’t have reason to talk as much before the start of this year but that was just down to circumstance. Draco and I share many of the same interests and opinions and he’s very intelligent so it’s fun to have a conversation with someone who can keep up.”

“He always has been one step ahead, he gets it from his father,” agreed Narcissa, her eyes warming and smile becoming a touch fonder as she angled to face me better. “He speaks highly of you too, especially your magic and wand work. Apparently, you tend to master spells long before most of your peers.”

“I- That’s an exaggeration.” I felt my face heat up uncomfortably and rushed to cover my stammer. “I spend a lot of time reading ahead and practising before and after our classes. I’m nothing special.” She smiled knowingly at that and I felt a small prickle of defensive confusion. What had I missed?

“Nonetheless, I am glad that Draco counts you and your brother among some of his closest friends. Some of the potential alternatives might be considered… unsavoury, at best.” I caught the faint glimmer of amusement in Narcissa’s eyes and felt a strange flash of camaraderie flicker to life in my chest: if she wasn’t referring to the walking disasters that were Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle then I would hug a werewolf.

The conversation continued in that vein for a long time, with Narcissa taking an unprecedented but genuine amount of interest in my experience at Hogwarts so far: from things like my favourite subjects and teachers to whether I had discovered the painting of a Hebridean Black hanging in a disused corridor somewhere in the depths of the dungeons yet.

Mother stayed quiet after a few unsuccessful attempts to redirect Narcissa’s attention, caught somewhere between looking pleased that I had managed to get on the stately woman’s good side and annoyance that she was no longer in the spotlight. And with a pang I realised that Mother had never asked me even a fraction of the things Narcissa now was; had never shown any interest in mine and Blaise’s schooling or lives beyond which children of powerful Purebloods we were chummy with so she knew where to focus her efforts when it came to rubbing elbows with the rest of society’s elites.

So I indulged and let myself bask in Narcissa’s interest, finally having an outlet for my thoughts about my studies and the castle and its occupants. I remained vigilant however, trained too well to relax so quickly and let something compromising slip or to seem overeager. Treading the fine line between earnestness and indifference was no mean feat but I was fairly proud of my efforts when the conversation began to wind down to its natural conclusion.

“Well Bellen, you seem like a delightful young woman and I have no doubt you’ll continue to flourish if you carry on as you have been so far. I have no doubt you could become Prefect for Slytherin, even Head Girl if you so wished.” Narcissa sent me a gentle smile which I easily returned, unable to resist preening very slightly in the face of such high praise.

“I hope so, but Daphne would also be a good choice. She’s popular with a lot of the House already.” My answer was diplomatic but also true to an extent; I wasn’t as well-known as some of my classmates with the rest of my House, my association with the Quidditch team aside. I spent most of my free time closeted away practising spells or with my head buried in the pages of a book, so it was no small wonder I tended to be as memorable as a Demiguise even to those who frequented the common room or Library.

“I suppose we shall see in a few years’ time,” Narcissa hummed placatingly, giving me one last approving look before turning to address Mother at last. “Estelle, I’m sad to say I must return to the Manor shortly but I would love to continue with these little lunches if you’re amicable? Perhaps I can host next time and we can take a turn about the grounds after eating?”

And so, after a flurry of pleasantries and farewells and well wishes, Narcissa sent me one last gentle look while being ushered from the room before the faint roar of flames signalled her return to Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire. I stood and raced from the parlour before Mother could collect herself enough to round on me and redirect her frustration or toxic levels of forced sweetness upon me: retreating to the safety of my bedroom and replacing my day robes with a soft summer nightgown, content to spend the rest of the day relaxing in bed with nothing but a book for company.

Letters from Blaise and Draco came as often as Salazar and Ares could healthily manage with Morgana acting as a substitute whenever the two males needed a well-earned break. Long distance communication wasn’t ideal but since Blaise had left his half of our paired mirrors behind it was the only option readily available to us. He seemed to be having fun and learning quite a bit about Wizarding France when he didn’t seem to be missing me which was a great comfort.

Theo, Daphne and I had managed to get together several times throughout the holiday, including several lunches and sessions for afternoon tea as well as two trips to Diagon Alley; one for our school items for the upcoming year (including new robes for me, ha!) and a second shopping trip just for leisure. Daphne had downright bullied me into buying an armful of cosmetics that I had no clue what to do with and then promptly ditched Theo and I for Eyelops’ when we became too engrossed in the interesting titles Flourish and Blotts had to offer.

Narcissa Malfoy seemed to be more of a constant at the Estate than my mother ever had been, frequently sitting with me in the parlour or walking through the gardens and grounds while we chatted about everything and nothing all at once. The topics ranged from childhood stories to fashion to my plans for the future and somehow there never seemed to be an awkward silence or forced smiles where a stilted joke didn’t quite land.

Mother seemed to withdraw further and further into the depths of her wing as these visits continued, seeming more than a little bitter that I was the object of attention for once. I caught glimpses of her staring down at us from behind drapes and curtains but she was always gone by the time I could shift my eyes directly to the offending upper floor window.

During the moments between my mostly spontaneous social interactions, I had more than enough time to delve into my third year book list and make good headway through many of the titles. The _Monster Book of Monsters_ posed a significant challenge just in cracking open the front cover and I couldn’t hold back a smug grin when finally, after hitting the thing with several strong Freezing Charms, I got lucky enough to brush my fingers down the spine: which caused the book to shiver with an odd purring noise and slump open submissively.

I devoured the contents eagerly after that and spent hours making copious notes on some of the more interesting and complex chapters. I soon moved onto our Defence Against the Dark Arts material which proved to be equally as interesting and each new page brought a fresh bubble of excitement to join the slowly growing collection making themselves home in the centre of my chest. My hours of free time allowed me to delve into some of my neglected wider reading, so I also found myself devouring _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_ in the breaks between readings of my academic texts.

Thoroughly prepared for the start of a new year and buzzing with new levels of excitement for our imminent departure from the Zabini Estate, I was understandably in high spirits when Blaise finally returned from Paris. He had seemed to grow yet another towering inch in the weeks apart and his rich skin was now several shades darker to my slight surprise. We looked less alike than I could ever remember us being in our entire lives but I was just happy to have my twin back, minute changes aside. I flung myself into his arms and buried my face in his throat; eyes squeezed shut, surrounded by his comforting warmth and already dreaming of Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	11. Ten - Bloody Dementors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellen and co. are finally back at Hogwarts to begin their third year. Two "new" professors are introduced as well as Hogwarts's new security detail; and Draco makes himself a nuisance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dementor! Dementor on the train!!! In other words, PoA IS FINALLY HERE~ (ft Remus being the softest of all softies)

“-swear she spent half the night unpacking and repacking her entire trunk and the other half cooing to Salazar about how excited she was. No wonder she’s crashing.”

“That’s no excuse Blaise. Bellen? Bellen, wake up, you’re late to your Arithmancy exam.”

“Term hasn’t even started yet Daph,” I sighed out directly after a jaw cracking yawn, shaking myself slightly and straightening in my seat as I blinked my eyes open. “I don’t even think we’ve passed the border into Scotland.”

“Wrong, we did that about an hour back.” Draco’s smug face came into view around my twin, pale skin now kissed with the faintest beginnings of a tan and his platinum hair an even starker white against his forehead and striking eyes. “You really are losing your touch Bellen.”

“Oh shut it, I only nodded off to escape hearing you gush about Paris for the hundredth time in as many minutes.”

“If only we could have been so lucky…” mused Theo, face partially hidden by the large copy of _Spellman’s Syllabary_ he was occupied with; but not enough to hide the teasing smirk that pulled at the corner of his mouth.

“Okay, no more holiday talk.” Blaise agreed with a hint of humour to his tone, neatly dodging the swipe Draco aimed for the back of his head. “We need Bell to engage before she pitches herself out of the window.”

“As if I would ever do something so dramatically foolish dearest gemello,” I cooed, leaning into his side a little while I smoothed down my now slightly misplaced curls. “I would simply Avada myself and leave you all to clean up the mess.”

“Charming.” Daphne chipped in yet again, sniffing delicately and levelling an unimpressed stare in my direction while I pouted in a show of exaggerated apology. “Speaking of mess, I regret taking Care of Magical Creatures already. It seems like _far_ more trouble than it’s actually worth. I mean, what in the name of Merlin were they thinking assigning us a book that seems more willing to take off my hand than let me touch it?”

“I just Charmed it shut,” Theo said as he carefully flipped several pages forwards. “None of the Jinx and Hex counter spells I used worked.”

“I doubt we’ll even need the book for the first few weeks.” Blaise sounded cautiously optimistic and I hummed in quiet agreement. “I’ve heard Kettleburn’s pretty eccentric, prefers to teach by example rather than theory.”

“I wish McGonagall would take a leaf out of his book,” grouched Draco, focus occupied by a bulky silver ring which he spun around his right ring finger. That was definitely a recent addition. “The amount of preparatory reading she sets is criminal.”

“Transfiguration _is_ one of the most complex schools of magic.” I argued calmly. “It probably has more risk of catastrophic failure than Potions for example, especially when you start venturing into the sphere of human Transfiguration.”

“Would it kill you to sound like you haven’t swallowed a textbook for one second?” Draco taunted playfully and I dismissed him with a good-natured glare, turning my attention to the twilit view out of the compartment’s window to my right.

Water audibly pelted the surfaces around us and the world outside was a seething mass of thick steel grey, too dark for the time of day even when the lashing rain was factored into the explanation. Buttery lantern light lit the train in a warm glow but a strange chill in the air bit bone deep and I felt a tight itch crawl along my body just underneath my skin in response.

“-walked in on Potty and the Weasel. He was just curled up in the corner, dead asleep, robes practically falling apart with the most battered trunk I’ve ever seen.” I tuned back into Draco’s rant halfway through and furrowed my eyebrows at Blaise in a clear sign of confusion while Daphne flung herself headfirst into hypothesising.

“Draco says he might’ve seen the new DADA professor earlier when he made his way up the train with Crabbe and Goyle to find Potter.” Blaise was quick to clarify for me and just as I opened my mouth to join Daphne in her questioning of Draco, the train lurched suddenly and the squealing of the brakes filled the carriage as we began to slow down.

“We’re nowhere near Hogsmeade,” Theo murmured in surprise, setting his book on the seat next to him and sitting forward a little to try and catch sight of anything through the dark foggy window. “We still have another hour or so left to go.”

“Why else would the train be stopping? You don’t think…”

“Don’t be daft Greengrass,” Draco sneered, jaw set and eyes a little tight. “Sirius Black wouldn’t be anywhere near Hogwarts, or even still in the country if he knows what’s good for him.” Clearly I had missed more conversation while asleep than just Blaise and Draco recounting their trip to the continent.

“Will both of you please-?” Blaise was cut off as the train slammed to a total standstill and only Draco’s perfectly timed Immobulus prevented a cascade of trunks and owl cages falling from the luggage racks and straight onto our heads. Before we even had time to gather ourselves, the lanterns all along the train were simultaneously snuffed out and shrieks and shouts of surprise echoed to us from up and down the carriage.

“Lumos Maxima!” I held my wand high and let the silvery light bathe the entirety of the compartment, Blaise and Daphne quickly chipping in with their own Lumos Charms to supplement my own. “Is everyone alright?”

“Yes- But what in Salazar is happening out there?” Draco swiftly stood from his seat and flung open the compartment door, striding out into the corridor and casting around in the half darkness. The panicked murmurs and movements from only seconds ago seemed to fuzz and fade out gradually, and though the light level didn’t change in the slightest, the walls seemed to constrict around us; the shadows became darker and the light appeared thin and washed out.

I only noticed the sudden temperature drop when I suddenly couldn’t feel Blaise’s usual warmth creeping through our sleeves from his arm to mine, and only a second after that I registered the faint bloom of condensation in the air that grew with each breath I took. Theo met my eyes and judging by the harshness of his expression and the white-knuckled grip he had on his wand, he felt just as uneasy as I did.

Either some idiot had managed to seriously screw up a Weather-Modifying Charm or something decidedly insidious was aboard the Hogwarts Express.

In turning back to check on Draco, it was obvious that the latter was in fact true. The blond seemed frozen in place, left hand still gripping the handle of the compartment door while his other was curled protectively around his hawthorn wand. His face seemed paler than usual even in the poor lighting and his eyes were fixed on something at the far end of the corridor in a clear sign of dread.

“Draco?”

His eyes flitted to mine for a split second and I saw fear sparkling in those grey irises clear as day. Before I could move his eyebrows had crumpled together slightly and he spun on his heel, not casting any of us a second glance before he was hightailing it in the opposite direction of whatever had spooked him so badly. And so I did the only thing I could think of.

“Draco!”

Blaise’s hand missed me by inches as I darted across the compartment and flung myself out into the corridor, already angling to the right to chase after Draco and bring him back kicking and screaming if that was what it took. But a rattling breath and a fresh wave of stabbing cold forced me to turn around. The towering figure took a moment to be identifiable; the corridor was dark and the cloth it was swathed in seemed even darker, creating an absence of light or matter that my eyes struggled to focus on.

And then a thin skeletal arm pushed through the grimy black material and the Dementor took another sucking inhale as it reached for me: so I reacted instinctively and I couldn’t tell if I was proud of the outcome or mildly chagrined. A non-verbal Incendio Tria blasted from my wand in a searing wall of flame and I was stumbling back into the compartment before the fire could die down enough for me to assess the damage. The door slammed shut with another wave of my wand and I locked it with a shaky Colloportus before falling back into my seat next to Blaise.

“Bellen! What happened? Where did Malfoy go, what did he see?” Theo edged closer and gripped my forearms tightly, dark eyes boring intently into mine while Daphne and Blaise fretted on the left sides of us both.

“Dementor-” I forced out slightly breathlessly, taking a second to slow my pulse and regulate my breathing before I spoke again. “There’s a bloody Dementor on the train.”

“And you… sautéed it?” His tone was slightly condescending but I caught the smirk on his lips and the laughter in his gaze and promptly ignored his teasing.

“What are they playing at?” asked Blaise, slipping an arm round me and holding me protectively so he was placed between me and the corridor. “Letting one of those creatures float around unsupervised!”

“Shhh!” Daphne hissed suddenly, face looking pinched and splotchy from the cold as she pointed over Theo’s shoulder to the frosted glass window of the door as it _literally_ began to frost over. A wispy shadow that signalled the Dementor swum across the glass from the left, pausing for a few nerve-wracking seconds before it drifted off in the direction Draco had sprinted only a minute or so earlier. “Do you think it’s going to come back?”

“I doubt it…” mused Theo in a deliberately level voice. “It’s probably doing a regulation check before we pull into the village. I assume they’ll be floating around Hogwarts’s perimeter until Black is found if this hijack is anything to go by.”

“Why even let us take trips to Hogsmeade this year if he’s such a threat to the school and students?” I asked. “And if it’s safe enough to venture out at the weekends then why do we need the Halloween security detail?”

“Probably some kind of Ministry intervention? I’m sure Dumbledore won’t be happy about it.” Daphne offered shakily, settling herself further onto the seat opposite me and deliberately rearranging her skirt and hair in a soothing motion.

“We should go and find Draco-”

I stopped Blaise before he could finish his sentence, let alone move.

“Don’t. Best case scenario we run into that Dementor down the other end of the train and none of us know the Patronus Charm to fight it off. Worst case scenario, there’s more than one aboard and for some reason one of them gets peckish, again, with no way for us to fend it off. They’ll get off eventually and I’m sure he can find his way back.”

“And what if he’s run into one?” Theo asked me shrewdly, still gripping his elm wand more securely than normal.

“I’m sure he’s safe,” I answered firmly, cutting him a pointed look when Daphne’s face crumpled in concern. “He’s got a killer sense of self-preservation clearly, so at least we know he can outrun the danger if nothing else.” Blaise snorted quietly and made a show of relaxing back against the upholstery, although his arm stayed tightly wrapped around my middle and he kept shooting furtive glances at the closed door.

After a short pause Theo also returned to a modicum of normality, discarding his wand and opening his book once more only for his eyes to catch at various points and stick for minutes at a time until he became aware of his error and began reading once more. Daphne sat still and quiet for several minutes before standing up to let Cliodna out of her cage, coaxing the barn owl to settle on her knees where she stroked slowly through the soft cream feathers in a clear effort to calm and distract herself.

I was pretty firmly lost in my own thoughts so I was late to the realisation that the lanterns had thankfully flickered back to life, albeit a dimmer glow than they had exhibited before, soon joined by the renewed motion of the train accompanied by the faint beginnings of noise and motion in the corridors. However, I was first to notice when the compartment door unsealed itself with a sucking squelch before sliding open to reveal the polar opposite of the blond we were all expecting to see.

“Apologies for intruding, I just wanted to check that nobody was affected too seriously by our surprise guests.” His voice was mild and very faintly raspy from what might have been sleep, though his eyes were tight with concern and smile lines. “Remus Lupin,” he continued unaided in response to our obviously confused or dubious expressions. “Your new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.”

“Everyone’s fine Professor Lupin, thank you.” Daphne spoke up for all of us, visibly pleased by the stark difference between him and our professors of old. I caught the slight wrinkling at her brow as her gaze skated over his patched threadbare robes and scuffed oxfords as we both realised that Draco hadn’t simply been exaggerating his poverty for dramatic effect. But I was far more focused on his face and countenance than his materials.

Remus Lupin was a collection of rather bland colouring and features; clear skin with warm honey eyes and sandy brown hair, with a long straight nose and a fairly average bone structure and mouth. He had greys peppered throughout his hair, very faint stubble and a few too many wrinkles on his face for his seemingly young age. He was tall and fairly lanky in a wiry sort of way, clearly not an athlete but with enough corded muscle to hold his own.

The most interesting attribute by far were the myriad of scars littering what little skin that was visible. I could see a large ropey mass of scar tissue looping round the side of his neck and trailing down under the collar of his shirt and the silvery glimmer of faded marks littering his lower face, wrists and hands in particular. Lupin was actually quite striking if you took more than a few seconds to look past the somewhat meek and bland first impression he gave off.

“I am glad to hear it,” he continued with a slightly wry smile. “However, I recommend you all try to get a few squares of good chocolate into you before you head to bed later this evening. If you could pass the message on to anyone who seems particularly shaken, then myself and Madam Pomfrey would be very grateful.”

“Of course Professor.” Theo nodded in thanks and Blaise was quick to raise an eyebrow at me in a curiously pleased fashion before fishing a box of Honeydukes’s finest chocolate truffles out from underneath a pile of our belongings.

“I also must ask but- I assume none of you know anything about the scorch marks that stretch for the next five feet of corridor or so?” Our faces remained impassive and I caught the very slight glimmer in his eyes as Lupin peered around at us all innocently.

“That was my fault sir. I apologise.” I was quick to own up, knowing he was clearly suspicious of us if not totally certain one of our four were the culprit. “I can’t cast a Patronus, clearly, and the Dementor got too close for comfort so I panicked. I know we aren’t supposed to use magic outside of classes-”

“Indeed. And your name is?” Lupin’s voice stayed just as mild as it had from his entrance but I saw Theo’s gaze flicker to me in slight concern and Blaise’s arm flexed behind me ever so slightly in tandem. Daphne was the only one who refused to react, keeping her focus on Lupin while still fussing over Clio and clearly biding her time.

“Bellen Zabini, sir.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that Miss Zabini,” he shook his head with a faint smile and there was something cheeky about the brief change of expression that had me relaxing instantaneously. “Of course, I witnessed no spell being cast so I cannot punish anyone for the act itself. I would like to issue a polite reminder to the caster, as well as congratulations for being able to produce such a strong defensive spell in a trying practical situation. Now, I must be carrying on to the rest of train. Enjoy the rest of your journey and I look forward to seeing you all in class. Good evening.”

Lupin gave us one last nod and smile before retreating from the doorway and sliding the door firmly shut behind him. There was a stunned silence in the compartment for a few seconds before Theo’s impressed whistle broke the quiet at the same time I did.

“He’s my new favourite.” I declared, smirking gleefully as I relaxed back into Blaise and popped a dark chocolate truffle from the open tray into my mouth. The chocolate melted after a few bites and I felt the warmth spread out through my chest, chasing away the cold that I didn’t realise was clinging to me until I felt the hairs on the back of my neck and arms settle down.

“How much do you want to bet he was a Slytherin when he was at Hogwarts?” Blaise chipped in with a relieved smile as he passed the tray of truffles across to Daphne and Theo.

“I was thinking Gryffindor personally,” hummed Daphne distractedly. “He seems pretty mischievous, and Gryffindors seem the type to let certain actions slide when they can imagine themselves doing the same thing. Especially when it comes to authority figures. Skewed moral codes, the lot of them.”

“Either way, he’s setting up to be a damn sight better than Lockhart.” Theo dismissed calmly, shooting me the shadow of a wink when the other two’s attention was elsewhere. Conversation blended seamlessly into our renewed excitement for our various upcoming lessons, new and old, and Draco’s reappearance in the carriage after another ten or fifteen minutes nearly went unnoticed.

“We should start getting our robes on,” he announced brusquely as he swept back into the compartment, door closing quietly behind him. Eye contact was avoided skilfully, aside from the split second he spent defiantly meeting my inquisitive gaze before turning to pull his trunk down from the luggage rack. “I can see the lights from the castle already.”

“Bellen and I will wait outside,” Daphne offered tactfully, giving me no chance to protest before urging Clio up into her cage again and grabbing my arm to tow me out into the hallway. Draco was right: against the darkness of the sky and surrounding scenery, the far-off lights of Hogwarts twinkled faintly accompanied by a faint glow from Hogsmeade lying at the base of the towering bluff.

We switched with the boys as soon as they were finished, changing into our uniforms and robes and stowing our belongings away in preparation of our arrival. All of us were back in the compartment and making the final adjustments when the announcement echoed through the train to announce us drawing close to the station, and only minutes later was the train pulling to a stop for the second time that day; although thankfully now at its predetermined destination.

The five of us manoeuvred through the crowd of students in the corridor and pushed gratefully out into the fresh evening air, edging our way round the throng of slightly apprehensive second years and downright terrified first years (only pausing long enough for Daphne to wave supportively to her younger sister Astoria) to reach the carriages that would ferry us up to the entrance of the castle.

Our journey up to Hogwarts was filled with idle chatter, all of us studiously ignoring Draco’s flight from the Dementor and simply acting as if it never happened. I watched closely as his face relaxed infinitesimally for every minute that passed without mention of his actions and all too soon, he was back to his usual cocky teasing self; eyes shining in the low torchlight and perfectly white teeth bared in many a smug smirk.

Finally our carriage drew to a stop at the foot of the winding staircase leading up to Hogwarts’s front doors and Draco led us all out into the night, quickly catching sight of Weasley and Granger as they clambered out of the carriage ahead of us closely followed by the black haired and bespectacled form of Potter. Draco grinned in malicious amusement and advanced on his chosen prey, all of us following along somewhat wearily in his wake.

“You _fainted_ , Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually _fainted_?” He darted past Granger to stand facing the Gryffindor trio, effectively blocking their way up the stairs to the castle. I met eyes with Daphne in mild exasperation and she in turn communicated her matching levels of boredom with the elegant slant of her eyebrows alone.

“Shove off Malfoy-” grit out Weasley, shoulders set as he glared at the blond in question while Potter’s eyes narrowed in a matching expression of annoyance.

“Did you faint too Weasley? Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too Weasley?” I had to actively fight back an irked roll of my eyes at Draco’s blatant projection and I could tell Theo was fighting to bite back a snarky comment about his hypocrisy, but luckily a third party intervened before he or I could have second thoughts about taking direct action.

“Is there a problem?” Lupin had stepped out of the carriage that had only just pulled up behind ours and I could’ve knelt and kissed the man’s shoes right that second so great was my relief. Blaise was quick to respond before Draco could open his big mouth and make things even tenser than they clearly were.

“Of course not Professor, we were just heading inside.”

The rest of us made some kind of placating gesture of farewell to Professor Lupin (Daphne and I opted for demure smiles while Theo nodded solemnly) and Draco just sneered at Potter and Weasley one last time before allowing Blaise to catch his elbow and turn him to follow the rest of us up the stairs.

“You need to think a little more Draco,” I chastised as we bustled through the open doors and crossed the threshold into the comforting warmth of the Entrance Hall. “Starting a fight on the doorstep is such a Gryffindor move it’s almost painful to humour the idea.”

“I wasn’t going to _fight_ him-”

“Looked like it.” Theo cut off Draco’s indignant hiss, both expression and tone his usual brand of frustratingly neutral. “You almost single-handedly obliterated Bellen’s in with Lupin. If he turns out to have been a Gryffindor like Daphne suggested then him favouring her will come in handy for the rest of us. Plus, it would make your life infinitely easier if you just ignored those three altogether you know.”

“Right, well I didn’t ask for a lecture from any of you-!”

“Oh do hush.” Daphne sighed tiredly, slipping past Draco to lead the pack into the Great Hall and to our seats at the Slytherin table on the far left of the doors. The rest of us followed along seamlessly and while Draco fell into line quickly enough, his eyes and expression remained stormy even when Pansy and the remnants of the Slytherin third years drifted into the room and joined us midway down the table.

The Sorting for the year was highly uneventful, unless you counted Flitwick taking over for McGonagall as interesting; the children looked just as painfully curious or nervously tense as last year and with the exception of Astoria, none of them were from notable families. Astoria was one of the first to join the ranks of the snakes and I felt more than saw Daphne relax infinitesimally from where she was sat on my left hand side. Granger and Potter were late to the proceedings, rushing into the hall with McGonagall just as Flitwick left with the Sorting Hat and a low buzz began to build amongst the students once more.

“Welcome,” called Dumbledore, smiling out serenely at us all while waiting for the last whispers to rapidly die out. “Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I have a few things to say to you all and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast… As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban who are here on Ministry of Magic business.

“They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are with us I must make it plain that nobody is to leave the school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises, or even Invisibility Cloaks. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the Prefects and our new Head Boy and Girl to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors.

“On a happier note,” Dumbledore continued with a lackadaisical quirk to his mouth, “I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. Firstly: Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.”

“Two?” Blaise echoed curiously, and we all craned our heads amidst scattered applause to take a closer look at the Head Table and its occupants. The only new face was Professor Lupin and all the teachers we had never had classes with all matched to each and every possible elective choice, with the now glaringly obvious exception of Professor Kettleburn. “Must be for Care of Magical Creatures then. But who-?”

“As to our second new appointment!” Dumbledore’s voice was clear over the half-hearted clapping and it quickly died away in the face of his next words. “Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties.”

“He _must_ be joking,” hissed Pansy incredulously, the rest of Slytherin seeming to echo her sentiment as we stayed notably silent where the rest of the hall erupted into some kind of reaction. “Hagrid? _Teach_?!”

“That oaf can barely speak English let alone organise a curriculum!” Draco seemed just as taken aback as Pansy and it was clear from the brief gauging of the others’ expressions that they all had various levels of doubt or confusion about the news. “The damned half-breed doesn’t need the excuse of being the Heir of Slytherin to cause a death this time around-!”

“Draco.” My low warning had him meeting my eyes with a defiant slant to his mouth and after a few seconds of tense silence he simply shrugged me off with a low scoff, turning to face the Head Table just as Dumbledore raised his hands and achieved relative silence once more.

“Well, I think that’s everything of importance; let the feast begin!”

“Reckon it’s too late to transfer into Divination?” Theo mused blandly, already spooning baby potatoes onto his plate before accepting several hearty ladles full of goulash from Daphne. “Not sure if Trelawny is a better bet than Hagrid at this point.”

“As kooky as Trelawny seems, at least we can be sure she won’t sic a dragon on the students,” murmured Blaise around a mouthful of lamb wellington. “Intentionally or not.” At the mention of dragons and without conscious thought my eyes had already darted to Draco’s, only to find him already looking at me with the smallest amused smirk lifting his expression; his brief annoyance with me seemingly forgotten in the face of our shared reminiscence of first year.

“Either way, I’m glad I won’t have to deal with her particular brand of crazy, gemello.” I grinned sweetly, tearing my gaze away from the mercurial silver opposite to nudge Blaise playfully. “Just don’t come crying to me when you regret not taking a _boring_ subject.”

“Now now children, everyone’s going to be just fine.” Daphne cut in, voice sugary sweet and heavily laced with sarcasm as she leaned forward to cut Blaise and I with an exaggerated stare of disapproval. We both pretended to be cowed by her scolding and turned our faces down to our plates even as we smiled conspiratorially at each other from our peripherals.

Dinner wrapped up fairly uneventfully after that and once Dumbledore had dismissed us for bed, we all grouped up and headed straight for the double doors. We cut in front of an older group of Hufflepuffs and descended eagerly into the dungeons, making our way through the twisting passages to the Slytherin common room without conscious thought; so familiar was the route to us by now.

Everyone lingered in front of the fire for several minutes to finish up conversations and in Daphne’s case to check in with Astoria before we finally began wishing each other goodnight and departing for our dorm rooms. Blaise and I parted with a customary kiss on the cheek and I made my own way to the dorm to give Daphne some time alone with her sister.

Bulstrode and Davis were already getting prepared for bed when I entered, as Pansy had seemingly stayed back to continue talking to some of the boys. I sent them cool smiles of greeting before going about my own bedtime rituals, eagerly climbing into bed with a spell book only a few minutes later and drawing the hangings just to fall asleep a few pages into a new chapter.

The morning dawned pleasingly bright for September, with the sun breaking through the depths of the lake to reach our small porthole windows and bathe the room in a warm greenish hue. Every bed was empty and tidy with the exception of Bulstrode’s which still had blankets piled in a crumpled heap half trailing on the floor. I sped through my morning routine and dressed hurriedly, strapping my wand into my arm holster while I read a note from Daphne indicating she would be saving a seat for me at breakfast.

I made my way up to the Great Hall at a fast walk and took advantage of the empty passages to sloppily plait my hair back, securing it with the ivory ribbon Draco had gifted me all the way back in first year. His bangle was a comforting weight on my left wrist where it had made its home and Blaise’s serpent necklace was a welcome chill point against my clavicle, practically invisible under the barrier of my uniform shirt, Slytherin jumper and tie.

Rounding the corner as I emerged into the Entrance Hall and turned to enter the Great Hall, I found myself face to face with the infamous Gryffindor trio and had to hastily sidestep to prevent myself having a run in with Weasley. Potter and the red head scowled at me immediately while Granger’s eyes only narrowed the slightest amount and I struggled to contain my automatic response to scoff and smirk in disdain.

“Try to keep your nose out of mortal peril this year, won’t you Potter?” I marred my alarmingly friendly statement with a healthy dose of sarcasm and a saccharine smile, inclining my head in farewell to Granger before skirting round the group and making my way into the hall in time to catch the tail end of laughter from my familiar little knot at the Slytherin table. I made a beeline for the merry little group, catching eyes with Daphne who scooted up so I could sink onto the bench between her and Theo at the centre of the chaos. “Morning all.”

“Did you manage to see Potter running off?” crowed Pansy, leaning forwards around Davis who was on Daphne’s other side to speak directly to me. “Did you know he-?”

“Fainted? Apparently.” I hummed drily. “Pucey, lovely to see you again. How are OWLs treating you?”

“Charming as always Zabini.” Pucey smirked and leaned forwards slightly, elbows on the table as he pressed in from the outskirts of the gathering. “Considering I haven’t even technically made a start to fifth year yet; marvellously. Excited to get back on a broom, little augurey?”

“That name’s never going to catch on Pucey, drop it. And of course, it just won’t be the same without you. Who’s Flint found to fill in for you?”

“Some lump called Montague,” Draco cut in, cutting Pucey with an unreadable look before turning to capture my full attention once more. “And since Dell and Lee have graduated, now the new Beaters are two sixth years: Derrick and Bole.”

“Not to interrupt the athlete talk but we’re going to be late to Arithmancy if we don’t leave now.” Theo handed me a loaded breakfast roll as he gently ushered me from my seat and I waved a quick goodbye to Pucey before I was being herded back along the length of the Slytherin table by Daphne with Theo in tow. Draco and Blaise mirrored us on the other side of the table and we converged at the double doors, sweeping out into the Entrance Hall and up the Grand Staircase to our timetabled room.

Professor Vector greeted us at the door with a bland smile and waved the class into the room just as the bell for first period rang. The House distribution was disturbingly uneven; we five Slytherins were just beaten by the six eager-looking Ravenclaws who immediately gravitated for the seats at the front of the classroom. There were two Hufflepuffs, a girl and boy who looked terrified when they saw our knot of green-accented robes walk through the door and claim seats in the back half of the room, and the only Gryffindor was Granger who slipped into the room a grand total of thirty seconds late and took an empty desk on the far left of the room that sat in front of Theo’s.

Draco was seated with Blaise in the back-right corner, Daphne and I took the middle desk in the back row and Theo was in the corner desk to our left. The Ravenclaws monopolised the front row and the two Hufflepuffs were sat on the far right of the room leaving the central desk entirely vacant. Professor Vector gave us all a short introduction to the subject and the themes we would be covering that term before urging us into pairs to complete a basic revision exercise.

We winced sympathetically as Theo was forced to move forwards to work with Granger while the rest of us stayed put and cracked open our books to begin compiling a list of all the numerically significant key phrases or equations we could think of. It wasn’t a complicated task but it got us into the right mindset needed for Arithmancy as a discipline: deductive reasoning, logical connective mapping and triple checking our conclusions.

It served its purpose as a light confidence building exercise and allowed us to ask questions and solidify the basics before we jumped headfirst into the layers upon layers of calculations and charts which could very quickly become overwhelming. By the time the bell rang for the end of first period, I was thoroughly enthused and intrigued enough to get ahead on some of the work in my free time.

Granger was the first to be packed up and straight out of the door, not casting any of us so much as a glance as she swept past and out into the hallway. We cast Theo confused or amused glances and he gave a cool shrug in response, waiting patiently while the rest of us packed up before leading the way out of the classroom. Considering how effortlessly our first elective class of the year had transpired, we couldn’t be blamed for holding out the same hope for our second elective of the day. But it was with Hagrid and this was Hogwarts: of course, something had to give.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	12. Eleven - Creature Discomforts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco meets Buckbeak and Bellen meets her boggart... Strangely enough, things don't end too well for either of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Draco's Care of Magical Creatures scenes. That is all

I had held true on my plan of making a start with Arithmancy at the earliest opportunity; after sitting down to eat lunch for a brief ten minutes, I beat a hasty departure for the courtyard to take advantage of the weak remainders of the summer sun while I trawled my way through the first few pages of _Numerology and Grammatica_ to make notes and complete some basic exercises. When the bell rang to signal the end of lunch, I hurriedly shoved my things back into my bag and made my way to the exterior of the castle, catching up with the rest of the Slytherins halfway down the sloping lawn leading to Hagrid’s hut.

“There’s no way he’ll be able to fit the entire class into his hut, is there?” murmured Daphne in no small measure of concern, eyes fixed ahead of us on the stout building in question.

“Of course not,” I dismissed slightly breathlessly, smoothing stray hairs out of my face and sweeping them messily behind my ears. “He’ll probably have us at the edge of the Forest or just a small way into the trees depending on what he’s showcasing for the lesson.”

“Oh goody.” Pansy spat with an aggrieved sigh. The entire third year Slytherin cohort had seemingly signed up for Care of Magical Creatures and we were the first to arrive, gathering in a loose group in front of Hagrid while a sparse trickle of fellow third years made their way down from the castle behind us. It was only when I recognised the short stocky form of Seamus Finnegan and the dark lanky form of Dean Thomas did I realise we would be sharing this elective with the Gryffindors.

“C’mon now, get a move on! Got a real treat for yeh today!” Hagrid bellowed over our heads at the approaching Gryffs. “Great lesson comin’ up. Everyone here?” As the last two girls joined our messy huddle, several Gryffindors looked around and nodded or shrugged in silent agreement. “Right, follow me!”

A few of us shared apprehensive looks before reluctantly starting after Hagrid, walking just slow enough to allow a majority of the Gryffindors to slip into the lead as we began to make a start along the treeline heading away from the castle. After a few minutes, we rounded a thick clump of trees to find an empty paddock tucked just at the threshold of the Forest with fencing almost as tall as we were.

“Everyone, gather round the fence here!” Hagrid instructed, gesturing widely at the expanse of wooden railing directly in front of us. “That’s it; make sure yeh can see! Now, firs’ thing yeh’ll want ter do is open yer books ter page forty-nine-”

“How?” drawled Draco from my left, breaking away from Crabbe and Goyle to muscle in between Theo and I and take several steps forward to ensure he was visible.

“Eh-?”

“How do we open our books?” A sneer was in place as he hefted his book out of his messenger bag, bound tightly with ropes I recognised as an Incarcerous. Several other people removed their books from their bags to reveal their inventive methods of keeping them restrained; from ropes to frayed shoelaces to belts, not one other person had managed to get them open successfully. I quietly slipped mine from my bag and began to thumb through for the correct page, trying not to garner any attention.

“Hasn’… Hasn’ anyone bin able ter open their books?” asked Hagrid somewhat forlornly and I kept my eyes on the ground as he scanned the crowd.

“Well, Bellen has.” My head snapped up and I met Daphne’s eyes with fire in my gaze. “Not that anyone’s surprised.”

“Tha’s- Tha’s great!” Hagrid beamed and I held up my open book with a reluctant sigh to demonstrate my apparent godlike proficiency. “D’you wan’ ter demonstrate fer the rest of the class?”

“Hand it over albino,” I murmured to Draco, hand out to accept his bound book while the Gryffindors reluctantly turned and crowded in to watch me. Draco raised an eyebrow with a blank expression but handed over the tome while he took cautious hold of mine to free up my wand hand. Slipping my wand out of its holster and pointing it at the ropes, I cast a whispered Severing Charm and clamped the book to my chest before it could get any funny ideas. “You run your hand down the spine,” I forced out as I demonstrated, still fighting a little against the book’s struggles before it finally shuddered and fell still obligingly. “Just watch your fingers.”

“Oh, how silly we’ve all been!” Draco simpered with a heavy serving of sarcasm as we traded books once more and the rest of the class reluctantly began unstrapping their own books. “We should have _stroked_ them; why didn’t we guess?”

“I thought they were funny…” Hagrid mumbled uncertainly, casting a glance at Granger and Potter as if searching for approval.

“Yeah, terribly funny. Really witty, giving us books that try to rip our hands off-!”

“Shut up Malfoy.” Potter hissed lowly, eyes darting between Draco and Hagrid who seemed to have deflated entirely in the span of a few minutes. I felt a little bad for him; once you figured the books out they really were quite docile, but they should have come with a health warning and a set of instructions at the very least.

“Righ’ then… So- so yeh’ve got yer books an’… an’ now yeh need the magical creatures. Yeah. So I’ll go an’ get ‘em… Hang on-” Hagrid cleared his throat uncomfortably and turned away, striding off into the trees and disappearing from sight in seconds.

“God, this place has gone to the dogs,” sneered Draco, voice raised to carry over the babble of movement and conversation that had broken out in the interim. “Wait til my father hears that Dumbledore’s got this oaf teaching classes-”

“Shut up Malfoy!” Potter wheeled round, eyes fixed on the blond as he advanced several steps.

“Ooooooh!” Draco crowed with Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy joining in almost instantly. Draco dropped his bag and book and swaggered out to meet Potter head on, smirking down at him from his significant height advantage before shifting his gaze behind the boy and his two friends a little further back, face crumpling into a staged expression of fear as he stumbled back calling, “Dementor, Dementor!”

Potter whirled around instantly along with half the Gryffindors and Draco dissolved into cackles, falling back into our group while he and his cronies flipped their robe hoods up and mocked the boy even further.

“Oh, grow up.” I hissed, scooping up Draco’s things and hooking my hand into the crook of his elbow, pulling him round and taking several steps away from the Gryffindors to set up next to a fallen tree which could act as some makeshift seating if we needed to take any notes.

“What’s your problem?” he asked with an affronted frown while the rest of Slytherins filed over and began dropping their bags and robes in various spots.

“Right now? You are.” I replied in a low voice, thankfully saved from elaborating by Lavender Brown’s ear-splitting shriek as Hagrid came back into sight herding a dozen hippogriffs on thick chain leashes, jogging behind the mighty beasts as he urged them into the paddock and one by one fastened each chain to the thankfully sturdy-looking fencing.

“Hippogriffs,” Hagrid roared with clearly regained confidence. “Beau’iful, aren’ they?”

“Gorgeous.” Daphne and I breathed in tandem, my eyes gravitating to a particularly stunning hippogriff in the back of the bunch who was a striking blend of a white-bellied sea eagle from the front and a blue roan Clydesdale from the wings backwards.

“So, if yeh wan’ ter come a bit nearer…”

Most of the class seemed hesitant and Potter, Weasley and Granger were the first to step forward a few paces after a pregnant pause. Daphne caught my eyes and tipped a brow up in curiosity and we both steeled ourselves, stepping forwards and edging further along the fence to get a better view of the hippogriffs.

“Now, firs’ thing yeh gotta know abou’ hippogriffs is they’re proud,” Hagrid began in a carrying voice, presumably smiling encouragingly at us five behind his monstrously bushy black beard. “Easily offended hippogriffs are. Don’t never insult one, cause it might be the last thing yeh do. Yeh always wait for the hippogriff to make the firs’ move, it’s polite see? Yeh walk towards him and yeh bow an’ yeh wait. If he bows back yeh’re allowed ter touch him. If he doesn’ bow, then get away from him sharpish cause those talons hurt.

“Right – who wants ter go first?”

I felt Daphne tense up next to me and I kept my eyes resolutely away from Hagrid, instead focusing on the majestic forms of the hippogriffs. They were beautiful and I was excited to take a closer look but I wasn’t stupid enough to stick my head out and be the class guinea pig. Daphne had already pushed me into the spotlight enough for the rest of the day.

“No-one?” Hagrid probed a little despairingly, and Potter was the one to volunteer to the surprise of nobody.

“I’ll do it.” There was a general gasp of shock from the Gryffindors and I heard Brown and Patil babble something about tea leaves. Ditsy diricawls, the both of them.

“Good man Harry!” cheered Hagrid, clapping his huge hands together as Potter took a few steps forwards and hauled himself over the fencing into the paddock. “Right then, let’s see how yeh get on with Buckbeak.”

I tuned out as Hagrid stepped forwards to loosen one of the hippogriffs, distracted by the warm but firm grip on my wrist as someone sidled up behind me and slightly to my left. Daphne was still enraptured by the proceedings in the paddock and the rest of the class was just as focused aside from some low murmuring amongst themselves, so I wasn’t surprised that no one was paying attention to us.

“I’m sure Narcissa would be appalled by your manners Draco,” I greeted easily, my voice pitched low and eyes stuck unseeingly on Potter to ensure there was zero chance of us attracting even a stray glance. “Do you usually go around grabbing girls by the arm, or am I a special case?”

“Think of it as me returning the treatment.” His voice was just as quiet and calm as mine and he was close enough that I could faintly feel his exhales stirring the loose hairs resting against my neck. With his body heat leaching into my skin I was aware of just how large his hand was: his palm was a huge expanse of pulsing warmth and his long fingers easily looped my entire wrist and overlapped. His little finger had even managed to slide underneath the cool silver of my bangle somehow.

“Well? What do you want?”

“I thought we got along.” Coming from anyone else, it might have sounded whiny or even annoyed. But this was Draco Malfoy, and he was raised at the breast of a queen of socialites and then the knee of a highly influential man, so he knew how to keep his thoughts his own when he so wished. His words were cool and matter of fact, only the faintest curiosity colouring them. “What changed; was it France?”

“You think I’m petty enough to throw a hissy fit about not being able to go on holiday?” My mirth was plain in my words and I heard him exhale a little harder than usual in response. “You’re being needlessly childish Draco, and it’s tiring to be around. It’s embarrassing more than anything else. I enjoy spending time with you but I don’t want to be dragged into every little fight you pick with Potter. Is that so much to ask?”

“Bellen-”

“Go on then!” Hagrid’s shout cut through our little bubble of quiet and I pulled away from Draco to press up to the fence, watching in awe as the grey hippogriff Potter was suddenly riding spread its wings and took off at a gallop, rising into the air with only a few powerful flaps.

“Yes Harry!” Weasley whooped as the hippogriff soared high above the trees, banking around in a wide circle before lowering in a smooth descent and landing with a controlled canter back in the centre of the enclosure while the rest of the Gryffindors joined the redhead in cheering.

“Good work Harry!” Hagrid boomed, grin visible through his beard as he clapped the hippogriff on the flank and helped Potter onto solid ground once more. “Okay, who wants a go now?”

“Let’s go Bellen!” Daphne chirped, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer so we could both help each other over the fence and into the paddock. The rest of the class followed slightly more cautiously but Hagrid still seemed emboldened by our enthusiasm. He waved Daphne and I closer and freed the Clydesdale/eagle mix I had been eyeing up at the start of the session.

“Righ’, this here’s Dartwing, real friendly chap. He’ll follow yeh ter the back corner, so just take turns gettin’ ter know ‘im.” Hagrid patted Dartwing on the rump to get him moving and Daphne and I exchanged glances as the massive beast plodded obediently past us and made a beeline for the far corner of the paddock. We followed him carefully, wary of moving too fast and startling him out of his seemingly docile state.

“Well… Who’s going first?” Daphne murmured as Dartwing finally came to a halt, flaring his wings and stamping in a small circle as he eyed us from a distance. I sighed but took a bracing inhale and stepped deliberately towards Dartwing, catching his gaze and holding it purposefully. He fell still instantly, with yellow eyes so pale and clear that they almost seemed to be a steely white trained intently on me.

“I’m not going to hurt you…” I murmured almost subconsciously as I bent forwards in a careful bow, eyes still fixed on Dartwing’s as I waited calmly for his reaction. He let out a loud shriek which sent my heartrate skyrocketing in response to the sudden noise but I managed to control the urge to flinch, still staring the hippogriff down and refusing to blink. Dartwing made a softer chattering noise with his beak and after another moment of deliberation bent down in a matching bow.

“Well done Bellen!” Daphne whispered her encouragement, giving me a small smile as I straightened and carefully approached the hippogriff in case he changed his mind about letting me get closer. Dartwing straightened from his bow just as I reached him and gently nudged his beak against my outstretched hand, ruffling his wings and pushing against my hand a little harder when I seemed hesitant to stroke him.

“So, you like attention huh?” I beamed as I ran my hand obligingly along his beak and carefully over the span of feathers between his eyes, my own gaze dancing across his every feature to commit it to memory. “You’re a handsome one aren’t you? No wonder you’re friendly, you know everyone loves you.”

Dartwing seemed to trill in response and lifted his head to fix his eyes imperiously on Daphne, who dropped impressively quickly into a bow in response. The hippogriff mirrored her immediately and Daphne looked ecstatic as she came forwards a little quicker than I had and carefully sunk her fingers into Dartwing’s pure white chest feathers.

“Oh he’s gorgeous isn’t he Bellen?” she cooed, scratching him right at the junction of his head and neck to the clear delight of the hippogriff. “Such a beautiful boy!”

“He knows it too.” I laughed, shifting down from Dartwing’s head a little and dragging my touches down his neck and along his shoulder and wing very gradually.

“This is very easy,” Draco’s arrogant drawl managed to catch my attention from the middle of the paddock from where he, Crabbe and Goyle were crowded around the hippogriff Potter had been working with; mouth quirking into a pleased little smirk when he caught my eye over Dartwing’s back. “I knew it must have been if Potter could do it… I bet you’re not dangerous at all, are you?” He turned his attention to the steely grey hippogriff and something in my stomach tightened and dropped like a lead weight. “Are you, you ugly great brute?”

It all happened very quickly. There was sudden surge of grey feathers and the flash of nearly foot long talons as Draco screamed and dropped to the floor, Crabbe and Goyle bolting in either direction as they scrambled away from the enraged animal. Hagrid was there with collar in hand only a second later and was wrestling the hippogriff back into restraints as I dashed round Dartwing’s flank and sprinted for Draco who was curled up in the dirt, writhing as blood glistened wetly on his robes.

“I’m dying, I’m dying; look at me!” he sobbed, face screwed up in pain as he clutched his right arm to his chest. “It’s killed me!”

“Yer not dyin’-!” Hagrid argued weakly, hauling the hippogriff away while I dropped to my knees next to Draco and drew my wand. “Zabini’ll help- Then gotta get ‘im outta here-”

“Stop screaming and let me see your arm.” I ordered flatly, gluing my eyes to the darkest of the blood and carefully wrestling the shredded fabric away from Draco’s injured limb. His robe and shirt sleeve hung in tatters up to his right bicep and there were two deep gashes running from the side of his elbow round and over the inside of his forearm, both sluggishly spurting dark blood.

“I feel sick-” Draco groaned, and his face did look paler than normal underneath his faint tan.

“It’s the blood loss and shock; keep your mouth shut.” I mopped up as much of the blood as I could with the ruins of his robes and pointed my wand at the still bleeding wound. “Ferula!” Thick white bandages sprung into being around his arm, wrapped tight to quell the bleeding but already beginning to soak through with bright red. “Hagrid, he needs Madam Pomfrey!”

“I’ve got ‘im-” Hagrid hurried back over, quickly stooping on Draco’s other side and effortlessly lifting him up into his arms. “Outta the way!” he roared as he ran for the paddock gate which Granger was holding open while the rest of the class looked on in no small amount of panic and disbelief. Pansy was practically in hysterics and Blaise looked unusually grave as I stood and made my way over to Slytherins as they began to group back together.

“We should get back to the castle, I’d consider the lesson over.” I instructed blankly, holding out my hands to Theo who had gathered my bag and robe together while everyone else had collected their things. He raised his eyebrows a little in disbelief and dropped his gaze pointedly to my hands and forearms smeared with streaks of red. “Oh- right-”

“Scourgify.” Blaise’s Charm effectively scrubbed my skin and wand clean of blood and I gave him a grateful smile while Theo carefully piled my belongings into my arms after I slipped my wand back into its holster. “Come on, we should go and check in on him.”

“Breathe, Bellen.” Theo muttered under his breath, catching me gently by the elbow and turning me as the rest of the Slytherins fell in around us. “Getting into a screaming match in the middle of the Hospital Wing won’t go down well. Madame Pomfrey might really ban us this time.”

“As if I’m stupid enough to get on Pomfrey’s bad side, Theo,” I scoffed just as quietly, head tilted close to his while Pansy tearfully shrieked something at the group of Gryffs we passed on the way out from the cover of the trees. “Draco’s on the other hand? I’ll live there for the next year if I have to as long as he stops being a bigoted idiot.”

“It’s your funeral…” he sighed. Theo gave me a firm look which I supposed might have conveyed caution and put a small bit of distance between us as we carried on walking up the slight incline, past Hagrid’s hut and back up towards the castle with the rest of the class trailing along in the distance. When we reached the Entrance Hall we split unanimously into two clear groups: Pansy who went tearing off up the Grand Staircase towards the Hospital Wing with Theo, Daphne, Blaise and I in tow, while Crabbe, Goyle, Davis and Bulstrode descended the stairs leading down to the dungeons.

We unwillingly followed along after Pansy as she continued crying and carving a path through the trickles of students making their way from lesson to lesson, earning us all heated or confused looks and more than a few choice words as we four plodded along in her wake. Madam Pomfrey was already waiting in the doorway to the Hospital Wing, looking thunderstruck as she watched Pansy barrel down the aisle to get to Draco.

“I presume you are _also_ here to see Mr Malfoy?” she demanded impatiently, nostrils flaring and going pale as she glared down the length of her nose at us.

“We’ll be in and out in ten minutes,” Blaise promised lowly and Madam Pomfrey seemed to soften ever so slightly, eyes flickering between my brother and I as she presumably thought back to the rare but generous periods she allowed him to stay at my bedside the previous year due to his impeccable behaviour.

“ _Five_ minutes, Mr Zabini.” She pinned us all with a final stern look before whirling and sweeping back up the length of the Hospital Wing, flinging a look of deepest contempt at Pansy before closing herself into her office tucked into the far left corner of the ward.

We followed her path after a moment of hesitation, bearing right and shuffling in around the end of Draco’s bed where Pansy was sat in the adjacent visitor’s chair and attempting to drape herself over him and check his temperature (or something else ridiculously redundant of the sort).

“Not dead then Malfoy,” Theo drawled in a light taunt, brows drawn up in matching mocking arches. “With all the screaming you’d think a dragon had been at you.”

“Shut up Nott.” Draco hissed, looking wildly uncomfortable as he tried to simultaneously shift away from Pansy and throw the tangle of blankets off of his lap and abdomen with his non-dominant hand, the entirety of his right arm closely bound against his chest in a crisp white sling.

“What’s the verdict?” asked Blaise curiously, head tilted indicatively at Draco’s fresh bandage job.

“I’ll be here til tomorrow morning. For observation, or something of the sort.” His tone was stiff and his gaze bounced fretfully between us even as he avoided actually meeting our eyes. “There’ll be a scar.”

“It’s as much as you deserve.” It was only when Draco’s silver eyes snapped to mine and I registered Daphne and Blaise turning to regard me with slightly more than mild shock that I realised I had vocalised my internal judgement publicly. “Maybe next time you’ll think twice before acting the fool around a dangerous magical creature. In fact, I hope there _is_ no next time.”

Draco looked stunned and Pansy sent me a glare that was edging into poisonous territory so I took the silent cue and beat a dignified retreat before I could blurt something else that I would end up regretting. I squeezed Blaise’s hand discreetly and gave the others cool nods of farewell before turning on my heel and striding out of the Hospital Wing at a slightly more hurried pace than I would usually adopt. I kept my head down and sped my way down to the dungeons, slipping into the common room unnoticed and making a beeline for the dorms where I quickly dumped the majority of my materials.

I retreated to the Library for the remainder of the day and stayed tucked away at my corner table right through dinner and well through the evening, right up into the closing minutes when Madam Pince made her final rounds and had to shoo me out into the darkened and rapidly cooling corridors. The way was calm and quiet as I wound my way back down through the castle and finally made my way to bed, more than happy to be bidding farewell to the chaotic first day of term.

Draco made his grand reappearance during Potions the next morning and I felt Theo close in at my side when the blond settled in the back corner next to Potter and Weasley, being obnoxious and louder than usual as he revelled in the preferential treatment from Snape and the alibi his mild injury seemingly afforded his already inflated ego. I narrowly avoided adding a chunk of my finger to the potion when my knife slipped in the middle of skinning our Shrivelfig, and only Theo’s pale hand shooting out to close around my right wrist stopped the silver blade gouging into my flesh.

Theo was quick to muscle me out of the way and gently relegate me to stirring patterns and reading out instructions from the textbook before I could incur Snape’s wrath or otherwise attract bodily harm. I kept my attention on the Shrinking Solution for the remainder of the lesson, zoning out and ignoring the spectacle caused by Longbottom and Granger when Snape eventually gathered the class together to test the boy’s miraculously remedied Solution on his pet toad.

The space at my left was occupied by Theo as we made our way up out of the dungeons to lunch, trailing behind the rest of the Slytherins as Draco led court just as he usually did. Daphne and Blaise stuck back ever so slightly, glancing back and keeping their eyes on us and eventually keeping a buffer between the albino and I when we made it to the Slytherin table and picked through our lunch.

Our first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson was scheduled for right after the break and Blaise and I were the ones to lead our House mates this time, with Theo and Daphne murmuring away a few steps behind us and the others in tow a distance behind. Majority of the Gryffindors were already waiting outside of the classroom and after only a few minutes we filed inside, picking our seats and pulling our materials out of our bags and setting things up on our desks.

“Good afternoon,” Lupin’s mild voice rang out across the room from behind us, causing us to turn and track his entrance as he made his way to the front of the room and laid his briefcase on the desk, shifting round to smile thinly at the room. He looked marginally healthier than he had on the first and there was a pronounced sparkle in his eyes. “Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today’s will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands.”

“Pixies again?” Blaise muttered beside my ear and I caught his smirk from my periphery as I leaned back to roll my eyes. “He seemed so promising.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic gemello,” I replied in an undertone as I slipped my book and parchment back into my messenger bag. “As long as we don’t throw Draco in front of another hippogriff it’ll be fine.”

“Now then, everyone up on your feet if you please.” Professor Lupin spread his arms and waved us all up, mouth quirking into a wry angle as there were muffled groans and sighs when we all pulled ourselves out of our chairs. He wordlessly flicked his wand and the furniture went sliding to the edges of the room, leaving the majority of the floor completely clear for our mysterious practical. “Gather round, come forward please.”

Some of us shared apprehensive looks and hesitated a moment before stepping forward and crowding in around Professor Lupin who shifted his desk aside and hooked forward an ominous looking cabinet with another gesture of his wand. The mirrored wardrobe rattled angrily and several people skittered backwards in fright.

“Nothing to worry about; there’s a Boggart in there.” Lupin smiled thinly and encouraged us closer yet again before truly beginning the lesson. “Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces: wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks. I once met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. _This_ one moved in yesterday afternoon and I asked the Headmaster if the staff would leave it to give you all some practise. So, first question we must ask ourselves is… what is a Boggart?”

“It’s a shape shifter,” Granger piped up from the front left of the crowd. “It can take the shape of whatever will frighten us the most.”

“Couldn’t have put it better myself!” praised Lupin. “So, the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it Harry?”

Potter looked stunned and glanced around as if looking for help while Granger bounced up and down next to him with her hand fluttering in the air. I heard Theo snort quietly from a small way behind me and I just about managed to hide my smirk of amusement behind a thick curl of hair. Some things never changed and Granger being far too eager to please was one of them.

“Er… Because there are so many of us it won’t know what shape it should be?”

“Precisely,” Potter seemed to relax at Lupin’s affirmation and Granger slumped at his side in clear disappointment at being overlooked. “It’s always best to have company when you’re dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake – tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

“The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is _laughter_. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practise the Charm without wands first. After me please: Riddikulus!”

“Riddikulus!”

“This class is ridiculous…” muttered Draco and I saw Daphne’s minute headshake from the corner of my eye even as Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle snickered amongst themselves. I slipped back into the crowd a little until I felt an elbow bump my mid back and I smelled a very familiar cool spiced cologne; another recent change from the Draco I knew last year.

“Why do you always feel the need to make a smart comment Draco?”

“I was under the impression you enjoyed them.” He spoke in a flat voice under his breath, leaning in fractionally to keep his words a mystery to the nosy Slytherins around us. “I suppose I was mistaken?”

“Apparently so was I.” This was the wrong thing to say: I saw Draco’s head swivel a few inches in my direction and from the corner of my eyes I could see the grey of his irises trained on my face. I had spoken without thought and now I had his undivided attention. Merlin’s beard. “Just forget it, Draco.”

“No, no I don’t think I will,” he hissed quietly, remaining well within my sphere of spatial awareness as the crowd of students began to shuffle into a loose semi-circle to crowd around Longbottom who seemed to be the victim of choice for the day’s public demonstrations. “You see, ever since we’ve come back you’ve been acting like a nest of Doxies have made a home in your hair and you seem content to take it out on me. Did Nott say something, has he put you up to this?”

“Theo? Draco, _what_ are you on about? Theodore Nott has nothing to do with you and I-” I was aware of a large wave of laughter and more shifting from the people around us and I took the distraction to take a deep breath and lower my voice another level. “I refuse to do this now, if you’re really so bothered then you’re free to join me in the common room before dinner tonight to talk.”

“Form a line please!” Professor Lupin’s voice rang out just as Draco opened his mouth to respond, although I wasn’t spared the heat of his stare as we were jostled apart by a mix of Gryffindors and Slytherins as people jockeyed to pick a place in the line-up. I had just spun on my heel to make a beeline for the back of the room when I was stopped short. “Miss Zabini, somewhere near the front if you wouldn’t mind?”

Oh, I minded very dearly.

“Of course, sir.” I dipped my head with a somewhat strained smile and turned again to force my way into the crush of Gryffs, turning my nose up and sneering delicately when I had to slot myself into the small space between Finnegan and Thomas while Patil looked over her shoulder to gawk at me.

My wand slipped free from my holster into my palm almost without conscious thought, and I kept my eyes blankly forward while I felt my skin prickle from a mixture of indignation and the invisible pressure of the twin Slytherin and Gryffindor gazes on my back.

Sound felt as though it was filtering to me through a thick padded wall, the rhythm of my even pulse throbbing in my ears and throat as a foreign heat rolled through my veins. A mixture of exasperation, indignation, shame, anticipation- What did I have to be scared of? Draco Malfoy was little more than a bratty child; a rich, obnoxiously witty, and cocksure bratty child, but still one nonetheless. If he wanted the truth then he would damn sure get it-!

“Bellen, forward!”

My heart leapt into my mouth at Lupin’s shout and I took a measured step forwards, mind racing and eyes trained on the twitching eyeball on the floor in front of me while I scrambled for the feeling of surety I usually held. Riddikulus, I knew the incantation but what would I be forced to use it against? Some dangerous magical beast? An empty report card? Dippy or Blaise, injured or worse? _Damn you, Draco!_

I felt the faintest stab of panic and flung my arm up to train my wand on the boggart as it suddenly popped into a whirring grey cloud of potential, my eyes flitting to Lupin who was already watching me closely with the smallest frown settled into the faint lines and scars around his mouth.

The boggart recaptured my attention with a sharp crack and my head felt truly empty for the first time in my life as I clawed desperately for a reaction, for _anything_ as I heard the confused murmurs and whispers break out from the line of students behind me, all waiting and watching and _judging_. I could imagine the expression on Blaise’s face if he was close enough to see my wand arm shaking, to hear the way my breath sped up into quiet panting, to somehow _know_ that there were tears burning my eyes already.

“Bellen..?” My eyes darted to Lupin’s once more and he had shifted forwards slightly, hand already reaching for his wand to intervene but I couldn’t let him.

“Riddi-”

My throat closed around the word and that sent another thrill of panic racing through me; everyone could _hear_ , could _see_ me fail when even Neville bloody Longbottom managed to conquer this stupid spell and here I was, Bellen Zabini, falling to pieces.

I refocused on the boggart even as my shaking grew more pronounced, gaze combing over the familiar dark skin and hair and eyes, the sturdy messenger bag slung over one shoulder and pulling awkward folds into the sapphire blue jumper that was tucked neatly into a pleated skirt. The glint of silver caught my attention and I studied the familiar gold runic inlay, feeling the weight and chill of the metal weigh down on my own left wrist for a moment; somehow finding the strength to look her straight in the eye as I pointed my wand at her forehead and spoke in a strong, clear voice.

“Riddikulus!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, gives kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!


	13. Twelve - Hogsmeade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellen and Theo spend some time together in the aftermath of the disastrous DADA lesson and the group embark on their first ever visit to Hogsmeade!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The triple threat of Lupin, Theo and Draco bonding. Very juicy and wholesome at the same time~

“Miss Zabini? A word, please.”

A muscle pulled tight in my jaw as I grit my teeth in an attempt to keep my face blank, eyes fixed unseeingly ahead of me as I avoided the gazes of the class in the process of turning to walk back towards Professor Lupin. I could hear the excited murmur of conversation as people collected their things and filed out of the room behind me, just as I could feel the hot points on my back where the eyes of Blaise, Theo, Daphne, and probably the rest of the Slytherins seemed to be burning holes through me. Only Lupin’s firm stare flitting over my shoulder encouraged the last loiterers to turn tail and leave, leaving him and I alone in the open space.

“I just wanted to check in on you after the lesson…” Lupin trailed off into silence, probably expecting me to fill in for him but I kept my lips firmly pressed together, expression perfectly detached and bored as I secured my bag over my shoulder and settled it against my side. “You surprised me just as much as I’m sure you surprised your classmates.”

“I apologise sir.” My words were flat and I folded my hands primly in front of myself as I looked up to meet Lupin’s gaze head on, not challengingly but not entirely vacant either. He seemed the meddling type, somehow in the most complimentary way possible, but that didn’t mean I was willing to play into his hands. Lupin sighed, shoulders dropping ever so slightly as he regarded me with a frown.

“You have nothing to apologise for. What I want to know is why a thirteen year old girl would be so scared of herself, and I want you to know that if you ever need a sympathetic ear then I am only one among many staff members who would happily be that for you Bellen.”

“Thank you for the concern, professor, but it is wholly unnecessary.” I managed to force a small smile onto my face and watched closely as Lupin returned the gesture with just a hint of well masked exasperation as I nimbly sidestepped the embedded question. “Am I free to go? Only that I had some reading I wanted to do before dinner-”

“Of course, do not delay yourself on my account.” Lupin smiled thinly again and gestured me towards the door resignedly. I barely had enough time to turn on my foot before he was calling out once again. “Oh, and Bellen?”

“Yes, professor?” He regarded me closely for a few moments, warm brown eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he raked his focus over my face. Lupin relaxed after a few tense seconds, sending an even softer smile my way that made something in my chest tighten uncomfortably.

“Very well done with the boggart; I had high expectations and you did not disappoint. Off you go now.”

I inclined my head in acknowledgement before spinning and hurrying from the room with my hand fisted tightly around the strap of my bag to quell the faint tremors I could already feel building at the ends of my fingers. I rounded the corner with my head down and my hair curtaining my face, which was why the hand catching my left arm caught me entirely by surprise and my first instinct was to reach for my wand as I was spun sideways into a tapestried alcove.

“Merlin Bellen!” a familiar voice hissed, and I shook my hair out of my face in time to see Theo glancing out into the corridor to check for any unwanted attention we might have received as he slowly relinquished his hold on my right wrist and left forearm. “Twitchy today, aren’t we?”

“What in Salazar are you playing at Theodore?” I snarled, pushing as far away from him as possible and taking a second to calm my breathing and pounding heart.

“Well, forgive me for hanging back to check on you.” Theo’s eyes were dark and intense as he propped himself up on the wall opposite me with his arms folded. “I trust Lupin wasn’t too much of a menace?”

“Manageable.” I answered coolly. “Not exactly an ideal end to the lesson but here we are.”

“Didn’t seem to be an ideal lesson, end of discussion.” His head tipped to the side infinitesimally in a clear query and I struggled to hold back my annoyed exhale and matching eyeroll.

“I’m not planning to spill my personal secrets to you or anyone else anytime soon.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Theo smirked and pushed off the wall, sliding a hand into his trouser pocket and rearranging his robes before gesturing leadingly at the tapestry concealing us from the corridor. I had the strangest sense that I had just passed some sort of test and the lack of preparation made me reflexively want to bristle, but I fought down that instinct as best as I could. “Now, I believe we have a function scheduled in the Library Miss Zabini. After you?”

I regarded him curiously, since we had certainly _not_ arranged a study session, before tipping my head towards him in a pacifying gesture and slipping past the woven covering out into the still empty hallway. Theo was close behind me and began leading the way along the corridor toward the Library without any further preamble. We walked in companiable silence and I felt a rush of unmistakable gratitude for the tall boy; Theo knew as well as I did that my presence in the common room or dorms would garner all types of uncomfortable questions and he seemed more than happy to steer me away from our House mates in a show of understanding and empathy I didn’t previously think he was entirely capable of.

We both received a shifty look from Madam Pince but as I was an unproblematic regular to these hallowed halls, she let us disappear with little more than a dismissive sniff in acknowledgement. I led Theo to a small study table adjacent to the Restricted Section, tucked away against a windowed wall with a clear view out onto the grounds and multiple tall bookshelves to shield us from view of the wider Library.

After throwing our robes over the back of our respective chairs and depositing our bags under the table, we both went our separate way among the shelves to search for books that piqued our interests before eventually reconvening in our quiet corner. Theo cracked open a thick dusty tome on the evolution of Arithmancy from Divination and I propped open a book on complex ritual hexes to accompany the chapter about hexes I was currently combing through from the book Theo himself had gifted me.

Though it may have sounded awkward, working in total silence with someone was actually a very calming experience. I knew that Theo had the same love for books and extra-curricular learning that I did and I never felt pressured to speed through my tasks or fill the quiet with stilted conversation. Any time I looked up from the thick creamy pages I found Theo’s eyes fixed intently on his reading, only flickering up to meet mine when his focus broke to turn a page. The corner of his mouth would quirk up in a somewhat smug inquiry and I would shake him off with good natured eyeroll before returning to my spell transcribing.

The sun setting seemed to want to bring a natural conclusion to our little study break and I was ready to reluctantly pack away my things and make an appearance at dinner when Theo stood and scooped up his robe before carefully stepping away from the table. He pinned me in place with a stern look however and paused in place until I turned back to my work before vanishing round the closest corner, leaving his book spread open on the tabletop signalling his eventual return. Theo was more loathe to mistreat books than even I, so I knew for certain this wouldn’t be the last I saw of him.

Sure enough, he was back maybe ten minutes later with his robe bundled up suspiciously against his chest which he carefully set onto the tabletop before returning smugly to his seat. I lifted an eyebrow curiously causing Theo to gesture grandly at the bundle of fabric before returning swiftly to his reading. After a short pause I carefully pulled aside the topmost layers of fabric to reveal several napkin wrapped parcels of food. More investigation revealed a collection of meat pies, soft rolls filled with butter and spiced sausages, a collection of roast potatoes carrots and parsnips, and a few slices of ham and cheese quiche.

Theo seemed exceedingly proud of himself and had a self-satisfied air as he encouraged me to have first pick of his haul, only indulging when I jokingly threatened him with bodily harm at wand point. We feasted at our leisure with the burnt orange of the dying sun hitting the sides of our faces square on and our wands Vanishing any crumbs or other food debris that would incriminate us after our departure. Once all the food had been picked through, we returned contentedly to our reading for a few more scant hours before all of a sudden, the stars were beginning to make an appearance in the night sky outside and Pince was making her rounds to eject any late-night residents.

We packed up our things quickly and headed for the main Library doors, slipping out into the gloomy candlelit corridor and making our way down towards the dungeons. A Ravenclaw prefect intercepted us as we stepped out into the Entrance Hall, clearly in the middle of his curfew rounds and though he looked more than tempted to bestow us with a House point penalty, he simply hurried us along with a stern warning. Theo pulled me to a stop just before the entrance to the common room and I braced myself for one last ditch attempt to ask me questions.

“I had fun this evening.” That was the last thing I was expecting him to say.

“So did I Theo, I… appreciated the time to study.” I nodded firmly, keeping a veneer of detachment in place while secretly hoping Theo knew what I was trying to imply. Judging by the conspiratorial grin that flashed across his face before he schooled his expression and turned to enter the common room, he understood perfectly.

We parted inside with subtle nods and smiles to each other before making our way to our respective dorms, which I found blessedly dark with all the girls’ hangings drawn when I silently edged into the room. I didn’t bother unpacking my bag, simply placing it atop my trunk at the end of my bed then changing into a nightgown and crawling straight under the covers.

Things seemed to settle down after that.

My disappearance was apparently enough of a signal that even the next morning during breakfast there were no hanging silences or obvious stares or, better yet, invasive questions. Blaise was unsurprisingly on high alert, sticking close to my side but otherwise seemed wholly unaffected, just as unwavering and dependable as he always had been. Theo was also more present than usual, focused on the conversation at hand however grudgingly instead of on a book as was usual for him. Daphne was determined to smooth over any lingering awkwardness with her invincible pep and she seemed to take a great deal of personal pride in every smile or chuckle she could wring from me.

Draco… He seemed to lurk in the background more than anything else, eyes on Theo or I whenever I gathered myself enough to glance over in his direction. I was waiting for the inevitable outburst when, in our first Ancient Runes lesson, we learned that we would be partnered up for the foreseeable future. Instead, he spoke only about the lesson content and seemed neither distant or overly interested in trying to psychoanalyse my every response which admittedly knocked me off kilter more than a little.

Days passed in this fashion, with everyone non-verbally agreeing to act as normal and Draco acting so thankfully abnormal that I didn’t even have to worry about him lashing out at Potter every time the boy opened his mouth, so days blurred into weeks peppered with breaks consisting of regular Quidditch practise and simple homework tasks and all of a sudden it was Halloween and the day of our first ever Hogsmeade trip.

After being shaken awake at an ungodly hour by Daphne and being subjected to almost an hour of vicious hissing, yanking, poking and prodding, we finally emerged from the dorm well after the other girls, dressed in our apparently literal Sunday best. Daphne was in a sweet little jumper and trousers ensemble in white and a warm shade of brown respectively, accompanied by oxblood brogues and a matching day cloak. She had curled her hair immaculately and applied a slew of perfumes and cosmetics which admittedly made her look like a doll and smell like a summer flower garden.

I was far less happy with my appearance but one thing I had learned after two years of friendship with the girl was that Daphne Greengrass was a force of nature and, when it came to fashion and beauty in particular, she would always get her way. The cream floaty blouse and burnt umber skirt were beautiful, especially when paired with the tinted stockings and buttery brown loafers but they were decidedly not arranged with the frigid Scottish autumnal temperatures in mind. But Daphne had just slung a thick cloak over the crook of my arm and ushered me out of the room while hushing my urgent concerns.

Although the miracle she had worked with my hair was more than welcomed. It had been softened into loose bouncy waves instead of the typical tight curls courtesy of a Sleekeazy’s hair potion and arranged in an apparently ‘artfully messy’ ponytail. That just meant I had stray strands falling into my eyes and ghosting over the nape and sides of my neck which I had to brush away aggressively every few seconds.

She had also rifled through the sparse collection of cosmetics I had tentatively dragged to Hogwarts in frustration before picking out some alarming looking pots and tools from her own collection. Some coppery paste had been painfully and painstakingly applied on the very edges of my eyelids before she smeared another darker paste along my eyelashes before _then_ allowing me to pick from four shades of identical looking brown lipstick. That, at least, I felt comfortable with and so I willingly applied a warm cinnamon colour lest Daphne begin gripping up my chin again in an attempt to angle my head for the best lighting.

We swanned into the Great Hall together, Daphne beaming and strutting along at my side when we received several curious or searching looks and, in some cases, harsh double takes. The itching need to pull out my wand and Obliviate every onlooker before sprinting back to the dungeons grew, but I kept my cool and soon enough Daphne was pulling me down into an empty space at the Slytherin table where the majority of our year were already gathered for breakfast.

“Looks like Daphne got to you after all then gemella.” Blaise cooed, smirking in amusement as he took in my appearance. Theo also looked mightily amused and I turned to the blond in disbelief as she innocently spooned some fruit onto her bowl of yoghurt.

“I should’ve known this was premeditated,” I hissed accusingly, narrowing my eyes at her appeasing smile. “You’re a menace.”

“You’ll thank me one day.” she sung quietly, swiftly ending any further attempts at resistance by occupying herself with a hearty spoonful of her breakfast. I rolled my eyes in exasperation and cast around for a new topic, willing to grasp onto anything to prevent conversation sticking on me.

“Parkinson, those earrings are lovely.” I cringed internally and almost reconsidered my mass memory wipe plan when Pansy slowly turned to regard me, probably wondering if she could detect any sarcasm in my tone or expression.

“Thank you,” she replied eventually, tone and mannerisms still cautious as if expecting me to double back on my compliment any second. “They were a gift from Papa. Greengrass did a good job with you.”

The compliment was a little stilted but I accepted it graciously nonetheless, smiling and nodding in acknowledgment before turning back to the large spread of food and pouring myself a large goblet of pumpkin juice. Draco was, surprisingly, the last addition to our grouping and chose that exact moment to come striding up behind Blaise, slotting himself right between my brother and Theo.

He was dressed just as smartly as all the other times I had seen him out of uniform: in black slacks and oxfords, a crisp white shirt and a clearly tailored charcoal grey jumper. A luxurious black winter cloak was folded over his left arm and there was something ever so slightly different about his hair. It seemed to be at a happy compromise between his new loose style and his previously gelled monstrosity. But this… suited him strangely well.

“Zabini?!” I was snapped out my perusal by Draco’s scandalised tone and immediately my hackles were up. What in Merlin’s name had I done to earn the last name treatment from him? “What happened to you?”

“Daphne did, _Malfoy_ , so if you have any smart comments I suggest you take that up with her in your own time.” My voice was icy and I caught Blaise’s quickly stifled wince while Draco seemed to flounder for a response, his nose wrinkling in some mixture of chagrin and confusion before he finally regained his mental balance.

“You know I didn’t mean anything by it Bellen-”

“Do I? Oh that’s good to know, I’m glad that’s all tidied up then.” I bared my teeth in a failed approximation of a smile while trying to hide the burning embarrassment I could feel rising in my face. Draco seemed to backpedal instantly but I had had enough. The base of my goblet connected with the table a little more harshly than I intended as I stood up and the students closest to us hushed slightly as they turned to look for the disturbance. “Daphne, I think I’ll wait in the Entrance Hall if that’s alright with you.”

“I’ll join you, I wasn’t very hungry anyway.” Daphne’s voice seemed steely and I turned to see if she was upset with me but I found her glowering at Draco instead. Well, at least I knew I wasn’t overreacting if Daphne of all people was willing to be so outwardly hostile. “We’ll see you outside boys.”

“Don’t catch cold!” Pansy called out as we stepped over the bench and made our departure, though she sounded all too gleeful to see us go; probably ecstatic at the chance to throw herself over Draco yet again. How thoroughly unappetising.

Daphne pulled me to the side in the Entrance Hall and took the time to pull my cloak on and fasten it for me, carefully rearranging my hair and giving me a supportive smile once she was finished. We stuck to the edges of the room as third years and older students alike began filing out of the Great Hall from breakfast to wait around for permission to head down into the village.

Filch finally made an appearance and we began to organise ourselves into a long line so we could be thoroughly vetted before eventually being allowed to leave the building. There was a small commotion from somewhere behind us and Daphne and I quickly swung our heads around to investigate when we recognised Draco’s voice raised ever so slightly above the general background noise.

“Staying here Potter? Scared of passing the Dementors?”

We gave each other identical long-suffering glances before resolutely turning to face forward yet again as the line of students continued to shuffle along. When we reached the front Filch leaned in to scrutinise us closely, beady eyes darting between our faces and the long roll of parchment he held several times before he finally grunted and let us pass.

Once finally free into the frigid autumn air, Daphne and I cast a few simple Warming Charms before linking arms and proceeding to make our way down the winding path to Hogsmeade, following behind the older students ahead of us who clearly had the route memorised. We chattered aimlessly amongst ourselves, silently deciding to act as if the scene at the breakfast table had simply not occurred. Daphne speculated about the taste of butterbeer and whether it would really live up to the legend set by the older students. I, personally, was more excited to hunt down a secret book store that I had happened to overhear some fifth year Ravenclaw’s talking about in passing while hurrying to Charms the other week.

I had to admit that once we finally made it down into the village proper, ignoring the vaguely grey hue from the generally dismal weather, Hogsmeade really was a rather quaint collection of rustic buildings that created the popular high street leading directly up to the castle as well as several twisting alleys and side roads that could hold any number of dead ends or charming secrets. There was little chance to take in the options and make a decision on where to go however: Daphne had already grabbed my arm and towed me through the doorway of Honeydukes.

The wave of warmth hit me first and then it was the smell, the rich notes of chocolate, the heat of melted sugars and caramels, the sensory collage of scents such as mint and bubble gum and apple and anise that somehow seemed to work in a cohesive harmony. The noise was next, shouts and calls ringing out from students and staff alike while brass scales clanked, paper bags rustled and coins clinked together as they exchanged hands or were jostled about in the till.

A bright collection of colours furnished and stocked the interior of the shop and I struggled to decide what to focus on first. There were dancing signs and paper labels and colour changing inks and restless pictures and enchanted confections, with the overall effect being excitingly overwhelming.

“What should we grab?” asked Daphne, leaning in and speaking directly into my ear to cut through the din of the crowd. “One of everything?”

“Or bulk buy essentials,” I offered smoothly, already constructing a mental list of must-haves that I could stock up on as well as a few superfluous extras; Dippy was fiercely fond of Cockroach Clusters for reasons entirely unfathomable to me. “I am quite excited to experiment though.”

“Let’s collaborate then!” the blonde chirped, pulling me by our linked arms directly into the throng of students so we could begin dishing a varied selection of sweets into paper bags. I still had a few rogue bags of Fudge Flies buried somewhere in the depths of my trunk but I grabbed a few extra for good measure, as well as a healthy supply of Peppermint Toads and Chocolate Frogs. Daphne and I worked together to fill a separate bag with more experimental items that we could test out at our leisure back within the warmth and safety of the castle.

We had to edge past a large display case containing what looked like a sugar landscape of a pond, while Chocolate Frogs and Peppermint Toads hopped about inside and feasted on a vast array of insect themed confectionary. I allowed myself a small smile at the masterful Charm work before Daphne was pulling me on to the tills where we forked out a handful of Sickles for our sweet haul before fighting our way back across the shop and bursting out onto the cold high street.

“Where to now?” I asked, shivering and trying to wrap my cloak more securely around myself. Daphne cast her eyes up and down the lane, leaning from side to side in an attempt to see around the thick knots of students that swept up and down the cobbled road.

“We could take a look in Gladrags?”

“What about Dervish and Banges?” I suggested quickly, nowhere near emotionally prepared to do a clothes shop and let Daphne fulfil her fantasies of dressing me up in all types of paraphernalia; especially when our fellow House mates seemed to react with varying levels of shock and amusement to the change. A wave of embarrassed anger crested over me again and I was practically oblivious to Daphne’s agreement, left to stew in silence as she happily pulled me further along the street to the small magical instrument shop which was blessedly free of the crowded clamour of Honeydukes.

We browsed casually for a few minutes, inspecting little gadgets and bigger enchanted items that looked particularly interesting or expensive. Daphne seemed to get bored pretty quickly, becoming antsy and restless, flitting away from me to peer out of the paned windows of the shop front while I immersed myself in the description cards. Her short attention span worked in my favour and I wasted a few more minutes while I solidified a plan to break away from the bubbly blonde and go exploring on my own. Not that Daphne wasn’t good company, but I wasn’t really in the mood for her particular brand of social interaction today.

“Daphne,” I began casually, taking a small pause to withdraw my wand in order to cast a quick Warming Charm over the pair of us as we exited the shop and stepped back out onto the street. “I wanted to check out Tomes and Scrolls to see if they have any books on Magizoology, but I know it’ll probably bore you. So why don’t you head on to Gladrags and I can meet you in there afterwards?”

“Well, if you’re sure…” mused Daphne somewhat edgily, eyeing me with a mix of suspicion and caution but her love for fashion won out eventually. “If I’m not in Gladrags by the time you’re finished with your silly books then I’ll be in the Three Broomsticks. I think everyone wanted to meet there for lunch so I’ll save you a seat.”

“Thanks Daphne, I’ll see you in a little bit.” I offered her a small smile of thanks and squeezed her arm gently in farewell before pulling away and making my way further down the busy street towards Tomes and Scrolls, a small bookstore similar in style to Flourish and Blotts but with a homier feel to it. This establishment too was markedly emptier than Honeydukes had been, with only a few Ravenclaw students who seemed more than slightly at home here and a random assortment of students from all Houses and years who needed to replace textbooks or pick up extra material.

I dove right in among the close bookshelves, scouring the topic labels in search of a section on Magizoology. It took a small amount of hunting but I eventually ended up in the right aisle, tucked away somewhere in the back corner of the shop surrounded by books that talked about subjects such as the experimental studies of creature magic all the way through to the breeding habits of wild plimpies.

A volume on dragons caught my eye and I snorted in response to the wave of nostalgia that washed over me, allowing myself to be swept away in memories of mine and Draco’s self-importance during first year when we had discovered Hagrid harbouring a newborn dragon. I picked it up for the sake of indulging curiosity, and added to it a small journal about various species of magical snakes, an index of magical winged quadrupeds, and a small book stamped simply with the words _Unicorn Handling_.

Finding the long wooden counter in order to pay and have my books wrapped up was another issue entirely. The books by themselves weren’t an issue to carry, but as I was already laden down with two bulky bags of Honeydukes confections it was more than a little fiddly to keep my arms firmly around my haul. The older witch who wrapped up my purchases and happily accepted my Galleons as payment was at least kind enough to offer me a canvas bag for the bound bundle of books. I accepted graciously and slipped my Honeydukes bags inside as well, hugging the heavy collection of items against my chest as I made my way back out into the bitter autumn day.

My next port of call was a little trickier to navigate my way to: Sylvanus’ Stationer’s was the name of the elusive bookshop I was trying to find and from what I had managed to find out about it from listening in to the older Ravenclaws, it was tucked somewhere at the end of an alley near the Hog’s Head Inn. I didn’t need to be a seasoned visitor to the village to know of the seedy reputation the inn held, and I wasn’t eager to find myself that far from the heart of Hogsmeade but I was determined nonetheless.

The number of students began to thin out as I made my way along the high street towards to the furthest half of the village, where the surrounding buildings became more residential and less commercial. I spotted the sign for the Hog’s Head Inn a little further down the way and so I decided to turn off down the nearest side road, keeping my senses on high alert and being actively aware of the direction I had come from. I followed the alley a little way into the cluster of buildings and ended up emerging in a small enclosed courtyard, almost entirely roofed over by the overhanging architecture of the perimeter buildings.

I backtracked swiftly and crossed the street to explore down a similar opening between two houses opposite, only to be met with a sheer dead end down the only turning available. Continuing in this manner for the next several minutes was the only course of action but when met with dead end after dead end, I could feel the frustration creeping in on me. I had been following a narrow and twisting passageway which seemed to be leading deeper and deeper into the maze of buildings with no foreseeable end in sight when finally, on the cusp of giving up entirely and turning back to join the others at the Three Broomsticks for a break, I finally found it.

Round a final left hand corner and tucked into the shadows of the backs of the buildings either side of it, a faded blue shopfront with a crooked wooden sign reading _Sylvanus’ Stationer’s_ in worn carved copperplate. It came across like a forgotten family business, founded and remaining open for time eternal although I had no idea how they received enough business to keep the lights on with premises this well-hidden.

The front door opened with a faint creak of aged wood and the merry tinkle of a brass bell mounted above the lintel. The shop was dark and gloomy but in a slow, comforting way. The only light streamed in from the windows either side of the door I had just entered through, and it highlighted the delicate motes of dust drifting lazily in the air. The smell of ancient treated wood and old books married perfectly and I could already feel my shoulders relaxing as I took another step further into this sacred space.

It seemed to be entirely uninhabited, barren of all life, but I proceeded cautiously nevertheless. I kept my ear out for the thud of faint footsteps or the groan of protesting timber as I approached the first table stacked with various tomes and bound rolls of parchment. My focus was absolute as I carefully sifted through each piece of literature, painfully mindful of fragile spines and binding which might be tempted to split. Many of the pages were yellowed with age and felt somehow brittle to the touch, seemingly as old as the bookshop itself.

“May I help you?”

I whirled around, heart jumping in my chest even as confronting the owner of the voice revealed a frail looking elderly wizard. He had the same mystical and somewhat unsettling air about him as Ollivander, especially when I realised how quietly he must have been moving for him to end up so close without me registering some part of his approach.

“No, thank you,” I answered coolly, quickly masking my surprise and straightening to give myself a more composed air. “I was just browsing.”

“Take as long as you need my dear,” the man nodded in understanding and offered a dreamy smile, not appearing to be affected in the slightest by my slightly chilly tone. “It’s not very often I get visitors. You’re more than welcome to buy anything that takes your fancy.”

I nodded slowly and watched mistrustfully as the man trailed off and began to mumble to himself, eyes shifting elsewhere as he turned away from me and ambled off into the shelves and gloom. I stayed motionless for several seconds, muscles bunched up slightly as I waited to see if the man would return any time soon. He seemed harmless enough but one could never be too careful, especially since a grand total of zero people currently knew my whereabouts.

Finally regarding myself as safe as I could be under the circumstances, I turned back to the piles of books and let myself get sucked back into their contents. There were snore worthy accounts of various periods in both wizarding and Muggle history strangely enough, although I hastily returned the latter to their places as soon as I realised what I was holding; but there were also first-hand retellings of successful and less successful hunts for dragons, handwritten notes leading to the conception of new spells and potions. Each text was more obscure and intriguing than the last.

I realised I had carved an unsteady path through the shop following a trail of books and parchments that ended with me tucked away in a back corner, my bag of shopping left abandoned by the wall while I carefully flipped through a very wordy and self-important study about how light magic could and had been corrupted for Dark purposes. Based on the spelling and grammar, along with the healthy peppering of Latin that I could half translate due to my proficiency in both French and Italian, I could take a guess that it was written at some point during the seventeenth or eighteenth century.

“Bellen?” My head jerked up at the sound of my name and I discovered that I must have missed the sound of the bell above the door entirely when I came face to face with the one and only Draco Malfoy, who looked a startling mixture of concerned and confused. “What are you doing in here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” I replied calmly, eyes flickering over our surroundings in search of the strange man; nowhere to be found. “I didn’t realise you knew about this place.”

“I didn’t- I followed you in. Well-!” he rushed out at my incredulous eyebrow raise, expression twisting uncomfortably as he took half a step closer and hurried to explain himself. “I didn’t _follow_ you per se, I spotted you as I came out of Scrivenshafts, and I wanted to apologise to you properly so I went into Honeydukes and on the way back down the high street I saw you going into some dark alley and wanted to make sure you were alright- I lost you for a while but I figured you might be in a bookshop and, well, here you are.”

Draco seemed slightly winded by his long explanation, his breathing deeper than usual and shoulders awkwardly stiff under the draping of his thick winter cloak. His hands had an overly firm grip on a pink and white striped Honeydukes bag and he generally seemed very uncomfortable by the whole situation. I decided to cut him a little bit of slack; his tension was putting me on edge.

“Alright,” I began slowly, closing the book I had been reading and tucking it carefully into the crook of my arm. “Let’s hear it then: this fabled apology.” He blinked at me incredulously for a second before composing himself, clearing his throat and wiping his face clear of all emotion but making intense eye contact with me as if willing me take him seriously.

“Bellen, I know I was careless with my words at breakfast this morning; you surprised me. I have no reasonable excuse for my behaviour and I know it hurt you, even if you might not want me to realise it. My mother would be appalled that I spoke to a lady that way and I dread to think what Father would say… So, I came to say that I apologise.”

His speech was somewhat stilted by the intense formality he seemed to have slipped into as a defence mechanism, but he was sure of himself as he handed over the Honeydukes bag and didn’t seem to be trying to make this into some big elaborate joke at least. I peeked into the bag and felt my eyebrows scrunch a little in confusion when I simply found a substantial pile of Chocolate Frogs. They weren’t exactly an offensive choice but we both knew they were _his_ preferred sweet of choice, not mine.

“Chocolate Frogs?”

“Just- eat one. Please.”

It was only Draco’s seemingly transparent insistency that prevented me from shouldering past him and storming out of the shop before he found some way to flip this on me. I cast him one more confused glance before carefully picked out an unwrapped and motionless frog, examining it closely before taking a dainty bite of the chocolate. It took several slow chews before I identified the warm notes of vanilla fudge, and upon closer inspection of the frog I found it mined with small lumps of the stuff.

“Fudge Flies,” Draco explained quickly as I looked back up at him for an explanation. He seemed a little uncomfortable with my scrutiny, hand coming up to sweep through his hair while he waited tensely for my reaction. “I asked one of the staff to collect all the frogs from that large pond display that had eaten Fudge Flies exclusively. He tried to short change me with some that had eaten a combination of things, but I made him stand there and bag up only the fudge ones. I paid extra for a reason.”

“You…” I trailed off into bemused silence, looking back down at the large bag of chocolate as it sunk in just how much Draco had inconvenienced some poor member of staff just for the end result of apologising to me with a bag of Chocolate Frogs filled specifically with my own favourite sweet. I felt oddly choked up all of a sudden, and I had to take a deep breath to force down the hot ball that made itself home in my throat. “Apology accepted, Draco. Thank you.”

And when I raised my eyes to his face again, the cocky yet oddly soft smile he wore in response to my forgiveness wiped the whole disagreement from my mind entirely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to share, give kudos and comment. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> There you go! Let me know what you think so far and hey, you never know, maybe you have an idea that I love so much I'll absorb it into my plans (with full credit of course)! Get commenting and sharing and I promise to be as active as I can manage around my second year uni work.
> 
> Eternal thanks for giving me a shot!


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